Benghazi investigator says Clinton showdown is about facts

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Trey Gowdy is a man under fierce pressure as he leads a congressional Benghazi investigation that's dismissed by Democrats as partisan and even questioned by some fellow Republicans.

The former prosecutor and three-term South Carolina Republican known for his "Southern politeness" is pressing ahead, determined to get the facts about the long night of Sept. 11, 2012, when extremists hit two U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, and killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens.

The 51-year-old Gowdy, boyish-looking with close-cropped silver hair, has cast himself as a fact-finder as he deals with Republicans eager to portray the attacks as a major national security failure of the Obama administration and Democrats who call the inquiry a pointless partisan exercise after some seven other investigations into the raids.

The panel has interviewed more than 50 witnesses— including seven eyewitnesses whom Gowdy says were never questioned by other congressional committees — and reviewed thousands of documents about security lapses, the military response and the administration's initial, inaccurate accounts of why the attacks occurred.

"Time and time again, Trey has proven that he is the best person to ensure the American people know the truth about what happened in Benghazi," Boehner, R-Ohio, told The Associated Press in a statement.

Republicans blame Democrats for the partisan breakdown and say Gowdy has been patient with the administration as he seeks documents from the State Department and other agencies.