Iowa congressional hopeful calls for special counsels

First District Republican candidate Steve Rathje has called for the appointment of special counsels to investigate recent allegations about the Obama administration's handling of Benghazi, IRS monitoring of conservative groups and the Department of Justice monitoring news reporters' phone records.

“While I have the utmost respect for (House Oversight and Government Reform) Chairman Darrell Issa and (Ways and Means Chairman) Dave Camp, these investigations need to be removed from the regular order of the House and be placed in the hands of special counsels,” Rathje said. “Several independent special counsels can do the work required by the American people, do it efficiently, and on a number of fronts."

Those fronts include the "ever-changing stories" involving the Sept. 11 murder of the American ambassador to Libya and three others at a Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, the IRS' targeting of 501(c)(4) applications made by conservative groups, and the "unconscionable creation of an ‘Enemies List' of both media and others being built by the Obama Administration, and used as a tool of intimidation,” said Rathje, a Cedar Rapids businessman.

Rathje believes the integrity of the office of the president is more important than the image of the officeholder.

“My announcement today is part of a growing bipartisan effort, which insists on a credible, independent effort to discover the truth about these weighty issues and determine the accountable parties,” Rathje said.  “I invite both Republicans and Democrats to join me in this call for a responsible investigation.”