Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton faces a string of cases brought about by the deaths of two Americans who were killed during an attack on a US diplomatic complex in Benghazi, Libya. On August 8, 2016, the parents of Sean Smith, a State Department IT expert, and Tyrone Woods, a US Navy Seal, filed the lawsuit against Ms. Clinton in the D.C. US District Court for the wrongful death of their sons. Negligence and defamation charges were also included.
The case stemmed from the September 11, 2012 assault by Islamic militants on the compound in Benghazi, setting the facilities on fire. Mortar rounds, grenades, assault rifles and machine guns were also used. The US Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens was killed along with three other Americans.
The plaintiffs alleged that Ms. Clinton’s careless use of a private email server while she was Secretary of State led to the attack. They claim that classified and confidential information in her emails were compromised because her private server was not secured. Terrorists were able to get hold of the sensitive data and used them to plan and implement the attack that resulted in the deaths. They also accused her of intentionally making defamatory statements about the incident.
Clinton archenemy Larry Klayman filed the suit for Patricia Smith and Charles Woods against the current Democratic presidential nominee and has also previously sued Clinton’s husband ex-president Bill several times when he was president. He has a history of chronic suing, having filed lawsuits against fellow Republican and ex-vice president Dick Cheney, Pres. Obama, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the president of Iran, OPEC and his own mother.
According to some analysts, a successful outcome of the case is dubious. The FBI is not recommending Clinton’s prosecution and reports from nine investigating committees have found no evidence of the server or emails being hacked. There is no direct proof that the Benghazi attack was caused by Hillary’s emails.
With elections nearing and the presidential campaign getting more intense, Hillary’s personal and public life has been put under the microscope. Her use of a private email server reveals her indifference or naiveté about cybersecurity. She has been criticized for her supposed mismanagement of her department during her stint as Secretary of State. And she has received a lot of flak for tolerating Bill’s infidelities, giving a bad example for woman empowerment. A family law lawyer says infidelity is a major cause of divorce among married couples but Hillary goes against the trend by staying in the marriage.
Supporters of Ms. Clinton say the wrongful death suit against her is politically motivated, coming in the midst of pre-election mudslinging. It’s par for the course. Since the campaign began, Trump has faced election-related lawsuits, like copyright infringement over a bald eagle photo and sending unsolicited text messages to voters in Chicago. The charges against Ms. Clinton are over an incident that happened four years ago and it’s a possible diversionary tactic since The Donald has been committing blunders that may be unsalvageable as far as getting the votes are concerned.
Whatever the outcome of the case, the four Americans killed in the Benghazi assault will always be honored and remembered for their valor but to hold a fellow American responsible for an Islamic terrorist attack when clearly she had no part in it may put a blemish on an otherwise sacred memory.