GOP investigator says Republicans on Benghazi panel fired him over Clinton focus

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A former investigator for the Republicans-led House Select Committee on Benghazi is alleging he was unlawfully fired from the panel for not focusing on Hillary Clinton and is vowing to file a federal complaint, according to The New York Times.

The former investigator, Bradley F. Podliska, is an Air Force Reserve officer and also claims Republican leaders on the committee retaliated against him for taking leave to go on active duty, which if true would be a violate of federal law.

Democrats have argued since the committee was formed last year that it is a political tool designed to inflict damage on the presidential campaign of Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton, who was secretary of state during the fatal Sept. 11, 2012, terror attacks on a U.S. outpost in Benghazi, Libya.

And Democrats appear to be using the alleged lawsuit as another inroad toward dismantling the committee, sparked by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy suggesting in late September that Clinton’s poll numbers have dropped as the committee continues to investigate her role in the tragedy and related use of a private server and email to conduct official State Department business.

“These are extremely serious whistleblower charges,” Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings, the committee’s top Democrat, said Saturday. “Republicans have been abusing millions of taxpayer dollars for the illegitimate purpose of damaging Hillary Clinton’s bid for president.”

U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed in the 2012 attacks.

In a statement obtained by The Times, the committee suggests Podliska repeatedly used resources for his own “hit piece” on Clinton and other members of the Obama administration and “vigorously denies all of his allegations.”