Credit: Reuters/Carolyn Kaster/Pool
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry speaks to U.S. embassy employees during a reception in Mexico City May 21, 2014.
Kerry was subpoenaed to testify on May 29, but the letter said prior commitments would prevent his appearance. Kerry offered two other dates - June 12 or June 20 - for his testimony, and asked the committee to withdraw its subpoena, the letter said.
If Kerry testifies before the House of Representatives Oversight Committee, the letter said, it should remove any need for the secretary to appear before a House Select Committee that was formed recently to look into the Benghazi incident.
Four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, were killed in the attacks.
House Republicans have launched multiple investigations into the Obama administration's handling of embassy security in the run-up to the attack and the steps it took in the aftermath.
Democrats have accused Republicans of creating the panel for political purposes, including keeping the spotlight on Hillary Clinton, Obama's secretary of state at the time of the Benghazi attack. Clinton, a Democrat, is weighing a 2016 run for president.
Republican House Speaker John Boehner has insisted that the special committee will conduct a 'serious, fact-based inquiry.'
(Reporting by Mark Hosenball; Writing by Eric Beech; Editing by Doina Chiacu)
Entities 0 Name: Kerry Count: 3 1 Name: U.S. Count: 3 2 Name: Benghazi Count: 2 3 Name: Obama Count: 2 4 Name: John Kerry Count: 1 5 Name: Mexico City Count: 1 6 Name: Eric Beech Count: 1 7 Name: House Select Committee Count: 1 8 Name: Doina Chiacu Count: 1 9 Name: House Count: 1 10 Name: Hillary Clinton Count: 1 11 Name: John Boehner Count: 1 12 Name: House of Representatives Oversight Committee Count: 1 13 Name: Clinton Count: 1 14 Name: Christopher Stevens Count: 1 15 Name: Mark Hosenball Count: 1 16 Name: Republican House Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1vIFUdu Title: Clinton allies pressured Dems on Benghazi Description: Hillary Clinton’s world was so worried about a Republican investigation of the Benghazi attacks, they sent a message to House Democrats: We need backup. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) publicly considered boycotting the panel, an idea that Clinton supporters feared would leave the potential 2016 candidate exposed to the enemy fire...
