John Kerry clears 4 State Department workers faulted in Benghazi investigation, they now return to work
The four State Department officials put on administrative leave following the September 11 terrorist attack in Benghazi have been allowed back on the job after being cleared by Secretary of State John Kerry to return.
Sec. of State John Kerry
Image/Video Screen Shot
The move comes as pressure mounts on House Speaker John Boehner to appoint a special committee to investigate the attack that killed U.S. Ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens and three other Americans.
Former deputy assistant secretary of State Raymond Maxwell, the only official from the State Department’s Near Eastern Affairs bureau to lose his job over the Benghazi attack, told The Daily Beast on Monday he received a memo from the State Department’s human-resources department informing him his administrative leave status has been lifted and he should report for duty Tuesday morning.
“No explanation, no briefing, just come back to work. So I will go in tomorrow,” Maxwell said.
While the article notes Maxwell feels his treatment was punishment, the entire leave was paid. The Beast quotes a source saying the four would not face any further action.
The four officials were put on leave in December. At the time the State Department identified three of them as Maxwell who had responsibility for North Africa, Eric Boswell, assistant secretary of state for diplomatic security and Charlene Lamb, deputy assistant secretary responsible for embassy security. The fourth was not named officially, but numerous reports say it is another diplomatic security officer, Steve Bultrowicz.
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, vowed Tuesday to investigate how the department decided “not to pursue any accountability from anyone.”
Check out the full coverage at The Beast
