Hillary Clinton appeared on Thursday before the House committee investigating the terror attack that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens, on Sept. 11, 2012, in Benghazi, Libya.
While the committee’s Republican chairman, Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, insists its goal is to get to the bottom of the deadly attack, Democrats and even some Republicans have portrayed the panel as a partisan effort designed to damage Clinton’s presidential prospects.
The political stakes are high for Clinton. With a commanding performance, she could extend her recent momentum in the presidential race and perhaps even neutralize questions about her use of a private email server that — despite little evidence of serious wrong-doing — have dogged her campaign for months. But if she struggles, the issue could continue to weigh her down.
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