House Government Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, who last week
released cherry-picked portions of interviews with IRS agents in an effort to accuse the White House of using the IRS to target political enemies,
explains to Rep. Elijah Cummings, the committee's top Democrat, why he believes "limited releases" are better than full transparency:
Your push to release entire transcripts from witness interviews while the investigation remains active was reckless and threatened to undermine the integrity of the Committee's investigation.
Why? Because:
If a full transcript were released, it would serve as a roadmap of the Committee's investigation. That transcript could be used by future witnesses and their attorneys to prepare answers to likely questions, and to devise testimony consistent with the narrative that previous witnesses presented to Committee investigators.
Okay, so that argument is not totally crazy ... except for the fact that Issa simultaneously defends his cherry-picked releases:
The release of excerpts from witness interviews can serve to provide important updates to the public as the investigation progresses. Limited releases of testimony may also serve to empower other witnesses to become whistleblowers and serve to vindicate individuals who have been subjected to criticism or retaliation at the hands of their managers.
Yeah, and you know who else limited releases can serve to empower? Unethical congressmen like Darrell Issa who want to twist the record of an investigation so that it conforms to their pre-determined political narrative while
ignoring facts that don't match the official storyline.
Moreover, as even Republican congressmen concede, Issa's approach may actually deter cooperation from future witnesses who fear having their words twisted.
If Issa really believes the investigation isn't done, he should shut up and continue the investigation. Instead, just as with Benghazi, he's made it his mission to use his committee to provide entertainment to right-wingers throughout the country. As he told The Washington Times, he wants to investigate Obama because "it'll be good theater."