Clinton aide faces Benghazi questions

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

A longtime aide to Hillary Rodham Clinton said Friday she answered all questions posed by the House Benghazi committee after a daylong meeting behind closed doors that Democrats said was unnecessary.

Huma Abedin said she answered questions “to the best of my ability,” adding that she tried “to be as helpful as I could be to the committee” investigating the 2012 attacks, which killed four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens.

Abedin, committee staff and a few lawmakers met for nearly eight hours Friday at a session focused on the Sept. 11, 2012, attacks. Clinton, the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, is scheduled to appear before the panel on Thursday in a widely anticipated public hearing.

Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga., said questions to Abedin focused on the Benghazi attacks, but also touched on Clinton’s use of a private email account and server while serving as secretary of state.