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via Hot Air

Via the Daily Caller, Newt Gingrich thinks that the Benghazi scandal might blow wide open over the next two days, thanks to e-mails that he claims two networks now possess from the office of the National Security Advisor, Tom Donilon.  According to a “reliable Senator” who tipped him to the information, Gingrich says that the e-mails came in response to the request to aid the consulate in Benghazi after the attack began, and asserted that the attack wasn’t a terrorist action and therefore didn’t need a response:

“There is a rumor — I want to be clear, it’s a rumor — that at least two networks have emails from the National Security Adviser’s office telling a counterterrorism group to stand down,” Gingrich said. “But they were a group in real-time trying to mobilize marines and C-130s and the fighter aircraft, and they were told explicitly by the White House stand down and do nothing. This is not a terrorist action. If that is true, and I’ve been told this by a fairly reliable U.S. senator, if that is true and comes out, I think it raises enormous questions about the president’s role, and Tom Donilon, the National Security Adviser’s role, the Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, who has taken it on his own shoulders, that he said don’t go. And that is, I think, very dubious, given that the president said he had instructions they are supposed to do everything they could to secure American personnel.”

That may not be the only scandal that Gingrich thinks will go prime time this week, either:

After noting that the rumor, if true, would have a substantial impact on the presidential election, Gingrich pointed to another possible “October surprise” in the coming days.

“The other big story, I think, that is going to break is on corruption and extraordinary waste in the solar power grants and direct involvement by the Obama White House, including the president, in the solar panel grants involving billions of dollars, and I suspect that’s going to break Wednesday and Thursday of this week,” Gingrich added.

Well, why won’t the “reliable Senator” speak up about the e-mails directly?  I’d guess that the e-mails have been kept close to the vest at the White House end, but that someone on the other end in the intel community gave them to the “reliable Senator” either simultaneously as they were sent to the two networks, or the “reliable Senator” passed them along himself.  It’s all about plausible deniability on the leak, especially since we won’t see any action in the Senate on Benghazi until after the election — not because it’s Democratic-controlled, but because they’re all back home with Congress out of session for the election.

MORE . . .

Related articles

• Gingrich: A “reliable Senator” tells me two networks have stand-down e-mails from Donilon’s office (hotair.com)
• Gingrich: ‘October Surprise’ May Drop on Obama the Next Few Days (conservativebyte.com)
• White House May Have Told Counterterrorism Group to Stand Down on Benghazi Rescue (pjmedia.com)
• Emails prove Obama bailed on Benghazi rescue? (wnd.com)
• Gingrich: Senator told me networks may have White House emails commanding counterterrorism group to stand down on Benghazi rescue (tarpon.wordpress.com)
• Gingrich: Major Networks Are Holding Emails From White House Canceling Plans to Assist Benghazi Heroes on 9-11 (Video) (thegatewaypundit.com)
• Gingrich Rumor: “At Least Two Networks Have Emails From the National Security Adviser’s Office Telling Counterterrorism Group to Stand Down” (nicedeb.wordpress.com)