House Oversight Committee Votes to Hold Clinton Techie in Contempt

The Hillary Clinton e-mail saga continues. On Sept 23, the House Oversight and Government Reform committee voted 19-15 to hold Bryan Pagliano, formerly a tech aide for Clinton while she served as Secretary of State, for failing to testify about Clinton’s private e-mail server that he maintained. “Mr. Pagliano is a crucial fact witness in this committee’s investigation of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a private e-mail server to conduct government business,” said Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT).

Pagliano, through his attorney, previously warned that were he to testify publicly, he would simply invoke his Fifth Amendment rights. Nonetheless, the resolution passed along party lines. “Mr. Pagliano’s attorney asserts because his client took the Fifth before the Select Committee on Benghazi, he shouldn’t be required to provide testimony to this committee. This is not a good faith argument,” Chairman Chaffetz said. Ranking Member Elijah Cummings (D-MD) accused Republican counterparts of seeking a “photo op” and “ready-made campaign commercial.” “No matter what anyone says, that is not a legitimate legislation purpose,” Ranking Member Cummings said.