Blumenthal and Libya Emails Testimony

New York Times: “Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Longtime Adviser Sidney Blumenthal Testified Before A Congressional Committee…That Dozens Of Memos He Sent Her When She Was Secretary Of State Were Written By A Longtime High-Ranking C.I.A. Official…Tyler Drumheller.” “Hillary Rodham Clinton’s longtime adviser Sidney Blumenthal testified before a congressional committee on Tuesday that dozens of memos he sent her when she was secretary of state were written by a longtime high-ranking C.I.A. official. During a seven-and-a-half-hour deposition behind closed doors before the House committee investigating the 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya, Mr. Blumenthal identified the official as Tyler Drumheller, according to a person with knowledge of his testimony.” [New York Times, 6/17/15] New York Times: “Drumheller Was Part Of A Group Of Former American Intelligence And Military Officials Seeking To Do Business In Libya As The Government Of Col. Muammar El-Qaddafi Fell In 2011 And Was Replaced By A Coalition Of Rebel Forces.” [New York Times, 6/17/15] Rep. Gowdy: “One Of The Folks Providing [Secretary Clinton] With The Largest Volume Of Information Was Simply And Merely A Conduit…[Of Someone Who]…May Very Well Have Had Business Interests In Libya.” “Speaking to reporters after the deposition, the committee chairman, Trey Gowdy, Republican of South Carolina, raised questions about the credibility of the official because of his financial interests. ‘It means that one of the folks providing her with the largest volume of information was simply and merely a conduit’ of someone who ‘may very well have had business interests in Libya,’ Mr. Gowdy said.” [New York Times, 6/17/15] New York Times: “Blumenthal Said The Author Of The Emailed Memos Was A ‘Respected’ Official.” “Mr. Blumenthal and Mr. Gowdy, making short statements to reporters, did not identify Mr. Drumheller. But Mr. Blumenthal said the author of the emailed memos was a ‘respected’ official. He added that he had told Mrs. Clinton that he was not writing the memos and that she could use the information ‘as she saw fit.’” [New York Times, 6/17/15] New York Times: Blumenthal “Told Mrs. Clinton That He Was Not Writing The Memos And That She Could Use The Information ‘As She Saw Fit.’” “Mr. Blumenthal and Mr. Gowdy, making short statements to reporters, did not identify Mr. Drumheller. But Mr. Blumenthal said the author of the emailed memos was a ‘respected’ official. He added that he had told Mrs. Clinton that he was not writing the memos and that she could use the information ‘as she saw fit.’” [New York Times, 6/17/15] New York Times: Rep. Gowdy “Cast Doubt On The Reliability Of The Information In The Memos, Saying That It Had Not Been Vetted.” “But Mr. Gowdy on Tuesday cast doubt on the reliability of the information in the memos, saying that it had not been vetted. The memos, which Mrs. Clinton circulated widely, stand in stark contrast to the intelligence reports prepared for senior American officials through a rigorous interagency process. ‘I am interested in the reliability of the information being presented to our top diplomat, and the reality is, having been in the room all day, he has absolutely no idea whether the information is credible or not,’ Mr. Gowdy said.” [New York Times, 6/17/15] New York Times: “Drumheller, A Career C.I.A. Clandestine Officer, Gained Notice For His Public Accusations That The Bush Administration Ignored Warnings From Spies That The White House Was Overstating Claims About Iraq’s Chemical And Biological Weapons Program Before The Iraq Invasion In 2003.” [New York Times, 6/17/15] New York Times: “Drumheller Said That He Had Tried Unsuccessfully To Get Assertions That Saddam Hussein Had Developed Mobile Biological Weapons Laboratories Removed From Secretary Of State Colin Powell’s Speech To The United Nations In January 2003.” “In particular, Mr. Drumheller said that he had tried unsuccessfully to get assertions that Saddam Hussein had developed mobile biological weapons laboratories removed from Secretary of State Colin Powell’s speech to the United Nations in January 2003. The claims about the biological labs were shown to be fabrications from an Iraqi defector, code-named Curveball.” [New York Times, 6/17/15] New York Times: Drumheller “Offered To Advise The New [Libyan] Government On Relationships With American Business Leaders And The United States Government.” “As for Libya, Mr. Drumheller

has declined requests from reporters to describe his precise role there. But he did advise David Grange, a former Army general, who was seeking to provide humanitarian services, transitional housing and police training to the new Libyan government. Months after Mr. Grange’s deals fell apart, Mr. Drumheller appears to have continued looking for a foothold in Libya. A message on Mr. Drumheller’s letterhead, dated February 2013 and stolen from Mr. Blumenthal’s email account by a Romanian hacker, indicates that he offered to advise the new government on relationships with American business leaders and the United States government.” [New York Times, 6/17/15] New York Times: “Officials For Mrs. Clinton’s Presidential Campaign Have Said That She Did Not Solicit The Emails. But Mr. Gowdy Said That She Had Told Mr. Blumenthal In The Emails To Continue Sending Them.” [New York Times, 6/17/15]