For months the State Department and the White House have refused to issue requested information about the 9/11 terrorist attack in Benghazi to Congressional investigators. More specifically, the administration has refused to release documentation and communications surrounding the talking points used to explain Benghazi to the American people. As a result, Chairman of the House Oversight Committee Darrell Issa sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry Tuesday informing him about subpoenas being issued to State Department employees.

"The use of compulsory process is necessary to obtain documents from the State Department. I prefer to advance the Committee's investigation without having to use the compulsory process to obtain the entire universe of documents that the Department has withheld from Congress," the letter states. "In light of your continuing refusal to provide documents in response to my requests, however, I have found it necessary to issue a subpoena to compel documents related to the Benghazi talking points. This subpoena creates a legal requirement that you produce the specified documents to room 2157 of the Rayburn House Office Building no later than 12:00 noon on Friday June 7, 2013. The subpoena covers all documents and communications referring or relating to the Benghazi talking points, to or from the following current and former State Department personnel."

The personnel referred to includes:

1. William Burns, Deputy Secretary of State

2. Elizabeth Dibble, Principle Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs

3. Beth Jones, Acting Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs

4. Patrick Kennedy, Under Secretary for Management

5. Cheryl Mills, Counselor and Chief of Staff to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

6. Thomas Nides, Deputy Secretary for Management

7. Victoria Nuland, Spokesperson

8. Philippe Reines, Deputy Assistant Secretary

9. Jake Sullivan, Director of Policy Planning

10. David Adams, Assistant Secretary for State and Legislative Affairs



The letter specifically mentions that the subpoena being issued is narrowly tailored to communications and documentation surrounding the Benghazi talking points. Those talking points were edited twelve times before being used by UN Ambassador Susan Rice on the Sunday talk shows where she blamed a YouTube video for the attack.

