October 22, 2015

Marco Rubio Uses Benghazi Committee to Boost Presidential Campaign

Marco Rubio speaks during a campaign rally on Monday in Salt Lake City.Rick Bowmer/AP

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Ever since House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) blurted out on Fox News that the House Benghazi Committee had the political purpose of hurting Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, Republicans have spent weeks insisting that the committee’s task is not political.

But on Thursday, as Clinton testified before the committee, GOP presidential candidate Marco Rubio certainly seemed to be using the committee for political purposes.

The tweet links to a petition on Rubio’s website that asks people to “Stand with [committee chairman] Trey Gowdy as he uncovers the truth about Hillary Clinton’s actions as Secretary of State.” To sign, you just submit your name, email, and zip code. That information, of course, is very useful to a campaign as it raises money and tries to build support in the months to come.

Another GOP presidential contender, Rand Paul, also seemed to be using the Benghazi committee hearing to benefit his campaign. The Kentucky senator’s campaign has been selling anti-Clinton memorabilia for a while now, but used the occasion of the Benghazi hearing to push its merchandise.

This story has been updated to include the tweet from Rand Paul.

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And the stakes are high. Democracy is on the defense. We’ve been exposing corruption and scandal for five decades, and this is a pivotal moment in our country’s history. Will democracy prevail? We won’t wait for time to tell—independent journalism is essential for democracy, and we’ll keep doing our part to amplify the free press.

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