Hilary Clinton's Benghazi Trial

Today, after two years of delayed occurrence, an assembly has gathered to hear the testimony of Mrs. Clinton surrounding the death of four Americans, including the Libyan ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, who were killed in an attack in 2012 while Mrs. Clinton was secretary of state. These deaths have caused large amounts of anger and animosity directed at Hilary Clinton. As her presidential campaign has progressed, many Democrats have questioned the validity of these attacks and whether or not they are only meant to harm her campaign rather than establish any real justice. Intertwined with the Benghazi incident is the email scandal that has plagued Clinton for many months. Her use of a personal email server has only increased the amount of bad press and has continually caused drops in her poll numbers.

Clinton opened the trial by saying, "My challenge to you, members of this committee, is the same challenge I put to myself. Let's be worthy of the trust the American people have bestowed upon us." Republic Susan Brooks, a representative of Indiana. targeted the number of emails Clinton sent during her time in office. In one stack was a pile of 800 emails and the second stack, emails that occurred after Benghazi took place, amounted to only 67. Brooks used these stacks to pin Clinton as uncaring about the events in Benghazi, to which Clinton replied that email is not the only she was communicating at the time. Throughout the trial, the emails have continually appeared as a focal point. Republic Representative Trey Gowdy of South Carolina was quoted saying, "Your emails are no more or less important than anyone else's. It just took longer to get the, and garnered more attention in the process." This comment was made regarding questions about the timing of the trial. Some say that the Republic party dragged it out until now so that it would be close to the Clinton campaign.

Other allegations have included the fact that more security was requested by those in Benghazi but none was sent. However, Clinton claims that the requests never reached her and stayed at the lower levels of administration who usually handle security matters. 

Tensions also rose among the committee when Representative Gowdy and Democrat Elijah Cummings of California have gone head to head on the real purpose of this hearing. Cummings feels that the hearing is meant to sabotage Clinton's campaign and that the investigations are wasting tax payer dollars on something that has already been investigated and found no results. Gowdy claims that the investigation is meant to honor the families who lost loved ones in the Benghazi attack. 

Clinton has already taken responsibility for the lives lost and her role in that, but notes that the final call on Libya from President Obama. 

Is the trial meant to harm Clinton's campaign or find answers?

Does this trial pay respect to the families of those who died or is it all politics?

How much responsibility does Clinton bear?

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/cp/congress/hillary-clinton-testimony-at-house-benghazi-panel?ref=politics

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/23/us/politics/hillary-clinton-benghazi-committee.html?ref=politics