Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) yelled at Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Thursday over her refusal to answer simple questions about a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council who stands accused by some members of Congress of leaking classified information to make Texas look like “Islamophobes.”
The man in question is Mohamed Elibiary, appointed by Obama and allegedly affiliated with the Islamic Freedom and Justice Party in Egypt.
Last month, Hani Nour Eldin, a member of Egypt’s parliament, was granted a visa and invited to attend several meetings with high-ranking White House and State Department officials, some in the executive mansion. Eldin is also a member of Gamaa Islamiya, a radical Islamic group currently listed as a designated terrorist organization.
The Freedom and Justice Party is an Islamist political party in Egypt with ties to the radical Muslim Brotherhood. The party won 47.2 percent of all seats in Egypt’s lower house of parliament and praised the election of Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Mursi.
In October 2011, Patrick Poole of PJ Media reported that Texas Department of Public Safety were concerned about a report that Elibiary may have gotten access to sensitive and classified information and that he reportedly shopped it out to the media
CSPAN clip
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/gop-rep-yells-at-janet-napolitano-for-claiming-shes-unaware-of-classified-doc-leak-wh-terror-group-visit/
GOHMERT: Are you saying before this Congress right now, that as Secretary of Homeland Security, that it is a lie that Mohamed Elibiary downloaded material from a classified website using the secret security clearance you gave him? Are you saying that’s a lie?
NAPOLITANO: I’m saying that is in accurate. That is correct.
GOHMERT: All right. What is inaccurate about it?
NAPOLITANO: A number of things. First of all, we have several people on the Homeland Security Advisory Committee that are Muslim [Moos-lum]. They’ve been helping Law Enforcement for a long time. Mr. Elibiary, himself, was recognized by the FBI…
GOHMERT: I didn’t say anything about that so if you…could confine your answers to what I said and what you find misleading in it…
NAPOLITANO: One of the things I find misleading in it is that he somehow downloaded classified documents.
GOHMERT: So you’re saying that the State and Local Intelligence of Community of Interest Database is not classified?
NAPOLITANO: I’m saying that he…as far as I know…he did not download classified documents.
GOHMERT: One of the games that gets played by some people who come up here and testify is that they have somebody not provide them with adequate information so that they can come in her and say “so far as I know,” “not to my knowledge,” that kind of thing, and they obscure the truth.
Has Elibiary’s status on Homeland Security Advisory Council changed?
NAPOLITANO: No.
GOHMERT: It did not bother you that he did access information?
NAPOLITANO: Uh…he accessed some information. What bothers me, quite frankly, is the allegations made against anyone who happens to be Muslim.
GOHMERT: Well, the allegations are not because he is Muslim…[snip]…this administration seems to have a hard time recognizing members of terrorist groups who are allowed into the White House. You are aware of that happening, aren’t you?
NAPOLITANO: Absolutely not.
GOHMERT: The evidence speaks for itself. Obviously you are kept in the dark on a lot of these things.
Are you aware of what the Freedom and Justice Party is in Egypt?
NAPOLITANO: Uh, Representative
(someone cuts in and finally asks Napolitano to answer the question)
NAPOLITANO: Yes
GOHMERT: Are you aware that Mr. Elibiary’s Foundation, which has now had their charter pulled because they failed to provide the information that the government requires to keep their 501(3)c status…are you aware you aware that that Foundation was called the Freedom and Justice Foundation?
NAPOLITANO: Representative, I’m not going to get into a debate about some of this…
GOHMERT: I’m asking you if you know simple facts…I don’t want a debate. This is a question and answer. Are you aware of that being the name of Elibiary’s Foundation that has now lost it’s 501(3)c status pulled.
NAPOLITANO: The insinuation…
GOHMERT: Can you answer the question – there’s no insinuation. Please answer just the question.
NAPOLITANO: Mr. Representative, with all respect, I believe you are insinuating that I and members of my staff…
GOHMERT: I’m not insinuating anything. I’m asking a direct question…The question is very simple. Are you aware of his Freedom and Justice Foundation
(someone interrupts and says “let me say to the Gentlemen from Texas, I don’t think he’s going to get a different answer)
GOHMERT: Then I ask the assistance of the chairman to direct the witness to answer the question, as asked. It’s very simple. It’s yes or no.
(someone says “we’ll give the witness the opportunity to give a final answer. Yes.)
NAPOLITANO: Mr. Chairman, I would just like to say for this Committee…
GOHMERT: That does not sound like a yes or no
GOHMERT: The answer is non-responsive.
NAPOLITANO: Mr. Chairman, I didn’t know this was a court with rules of evidence. I was hoping I could explain my answer.
GOHMERT: Mr. Chairman, my question was a yes or no question. Anything but a yes or no answer…and the reason there are rules of evidence so that witnesses don’t just go off on a lark – avoiding the question.
Gohmert’s time expired.
Napolitano speaks again and says “the insinuation that I and my staff would allow someone who is a terrorist to infiltrate…”
GOHMERT: I have not insinuated that Elibiary is a terrorist…he’s a very nice gentleman. I’ve met him a couple of times…there’s no such insinuation.
That the Secretary of Homeland Security would come in here and make such an allegation that …
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