State officials testify before House panel on consulate attack From left to right, Mark Thompson, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Counterterrorism at the Department of State, Gregory Hicks, Foreign Service Officer and former Deputy Chief of Mission in Libya, Eric Nordstrom, Diplomatic Security Officer and former Regional Security Officer in Libya, are sworn in prior to a House Oversight and Governmental Reform Committee hearing on the terrorist attacks on the diplomatic compound in Benghazi, on Capitol Hill on May 8, 2013 in Washington, D.C. UPI/Kevin Dietsch WASHINGTON, May 8 (UPI) -- Accusations about the administration and Republican leaders Wednesday opened a House panel hearing on the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform panel said his committee's charge was to "hold government accountable to the taxpayers." He said the goal of the investigation was to "get answers" about what happened in Benghazi last Sept. 11 when it was attacked and Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other diplomatic employees were killed. Testifying before the committee were Mark Thompson, acting deputy assistant secretary for counter-terrorism; Gregory Hicks, foreign service officer and former deputy chief of mission/charge affaires in Libya, and Eric Nordstrom, diplomatic security officer and former regional security officer in Libya. We want to make certain our government learns proper lessons from this tragedy so it doesn't happen again, and to make sure the right people are held accountable. He said the Obama administration was "uncooperative" when the committee tried to get get documents or to have potential witnesses available. Top committee Democrat, Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, said the hearings were nothing more than a political exercise. Cummings said the committee has the "duty" to "thoroughly investigate" any claims that the administration failed in responding to the attacks before making them public. He said the committee was conducting "a full-scale media campaign" not to find information but to "smear" public officials. Stressing that he didn't question the three whistle-blowers, Cummings said, "I am questioning motives of those who want to use witnesses" for political purposes. "I respect the witnesses here today to offer testimony," Cummings said. [But] today's hearing is not a full story. He said he hoped to hear from military, intelligence and diplomatic officials and then "turn to real work of this committee" to implement recommendations to improve the security of diplomatic committee overseas.