Tom Pickering Has Been Shut Out Of The Benghazi Debate

Written by Mike Burns & Andrew Lawrence

Published

Since the April release of a House Republican report on Benghazi, Tom Pickering -- co-chairman of the State Department's Accountability Review Board on the Benghazi attacks last year -- has been interviewed only twice on major news programs.

Pickering Hosted Only Twice To Discuss Right-Wing Scandal Mongering Since April Report

Pickering Has Made Only Two Appearances Since The Release Of The House GOP Report. According to a search of the Nexis database, Tom Pickering made only two media appearances since the April 23 release of the House Republican report: on the May 8 edition of CNN International, and on the May 8 edition of MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell Reports. [Nexis search for search terms: guests(Pickering) or body(allcaps(Pickering)) conducted 5/10/13; Andrea Mitchell Reports, 5/8/13]

Pickering Is Slated To Appear On Meet The Press May 12. According to Talking Points Memo, Pickering will appear on the May 12 edition of NBC's Meet the Press to discuss Benghazi. [Talking Points Memo, 5/10/13]

Pickering: Suggesting A Benghazi Cover-Up Is “Pulitzer Prize Fiction”

Pickering: “The Notion Of, Quote, A Cover-Up Has All The Elements Of Pulitzer Prize Fiction Attached To It.”  In his Andrea Mitchell Reports appearance, Pickering said in response to suggestions that the Obama administration was covering up the facts of the Benghazi attack: “I believe, in fact, the Accountability Review Board did its work well. I think the notion of, quote, a cover-up has all the elements of Pulitzer Prize fiction attached to it.” [MSNBC, Andrea Mitchell Reports, 5/8/13]