Torres Advanced Enterprise Solutions (TAES) security contractors Brad Owens and Jerry Torres (company CEO) told Fox News’ Tucker Carlson of their dealings with Hillary Clinton’s State Department both before and after the deadly 2012 Benghazi attack. By these two men’s account, safety protocols were botched from the get-go. Moreover, Fox News reports, “Asked if there was a specific effort by a senior State Department contracting officer to silence them, Torres said, ‘Absolutely, absolutely.’”

Some background: In 2012, TAES was among the groups vying for the State Department’s security contract in Benghazi, but the contract was initially given to The Blue Mountain Group due to its more appealing operating costs. According to Owens, “Blue Mountain U.K. is a teeny, tiny, little security company registered in Wales that had never had a diplomatic security contract, had never done any high threat contracts anywhere else in the world that we’ve been able to find, much less in high threat areas for the U.S. government. They had a few guys on the ground.” Moreover, Fox News reports, “The Blue Mountain Group hired guards through another company who were not armed.” What could possibly go wrong?

It didn’t take long to figure out. The terrorist threats escalated shortly thereafter. The State Department was warned by Ambassador Chris Stevens that the compound lacked the resources needed to fend off a coordinated attack, and in late August 2012, the State Department came back to TAES requesting its security services. Unfortunately, by then it was too late. According to Fox, “Torres emphasized that time was against them, saying it would have taken two-to-three weeks to get set up. Twelve days later, the ambassador was killed. Torres learned of the attacks by watching television. He called the circumstances leading up to the tragedy ‘bad decision-making from top to bottom.’”

Subsequently, Torres says he was ordered by a State Department official to “not speak to the media” and “not speak to any officials with respect to the Benghazi program.” Torres added that this official stated, “Guards should not be armed at U.S. embassies. She just made that blanket statement. … And she said that they weren’t required in Benghazi. So I was kind of confused about that. And she said that she would like my support in saying that if that came up. And I looked at her. I just didn’t respond.”

This is yet more demonstrable proof that the Obama administration was more than just callous. It was resolutely deceptive about Benghazi. This was always a cover-up ahead of the 2012 election and, from our perspective, it was the biggest factor of Barack Obama’s re-election. Now a couple of insiders are confirming the State Department’s gag order. Yet you won’t hear Hillary Clinton blaming the Benghazi debacle for last year’s electoral loss.