Defense

Issa escorted out of Benghazi deposition

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Former House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) tried to crash former Hillary Clinton adviser Sidney Blumenthal’s deposition before the House Select Committee on Benghazi on Tuesday.

{mosads}Issa marched into the closed-door deposition and remained inside for about a minute before he was escorted out by the panel’s chairman, Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.).

The pair briefly exchanged hushed words in a nearby hallway before Issa stormed off, throwing an empty soda can into a nearby trash bin.

NBC News producer Frank Thorp posted a video showing Gowdy and Issa.

Gowdy returned to the private session after the incident.

“Sorry about that,” he said as he went back in.

Gowdy brushed off a question about the interruption during a brief break in the proceedings later on Tuesday.
 
“You’ll have to ask Chairman Issa,” he said.

Issa conducted his own lengthy investigation into the deadly 2012 siege in Benghazi, Libya, when he was chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. At one point, he called the former secretary of State to testify.

Issa earlier in the day had stopped by the Capitol Hill room where Blumenthal was being interviewed, but the proceedings were adjourned for lunch.

Updated at 4:51 p.m.