Biden Administration Used 'Benghazi' Code to Conceal Illegal Planned Parenthood Loan Records
Source: M.D. Kittle. "Senator: Biden Agency Used 'Benghazi' To Hide Emails." April 29, 2026. thefederalist.com
The Gist
The author argues that Biden administration officials deliberately used 'Benghazi' as a secret code word in emails about giving COVID loans to Planned Parenthood. This was supposedly done to hide these records from Congress and the public, since no one would think to search for 'Benghazi' when looking for Planned Parenthood loan documents.
Conclusion
The Biden administration's Small Business Administration deliberately used 'Benghazi' as a code word to conceal federal records about potentially illegal COVID-era loans to Planned Parenthood, violating the Federal Records Act
Premises
- SBA officials used 'Benghazi' in email subject lines when discussing Planned Parenthood's $90+ million in PPP loans, with the actual program references hidden in parentheses
- Planned Parenthood was likely ineligible for small business loans due to its size and corporate structure, as the loans were meant for employers with fewer than 500 employees
- The timing of the 'Benghazi' emails coincided with Republican congressional inquiries about the loans, suggesting deliberate concealment
- Using obscure code words would make Freedom of Information Act requests non-responsive since 'Benghazi' wouldn't appear in typical search terms
- The White House was involved in these discussions, as evidenced by emails mentioning 'WH' engagement in the decision-making process
- Federal law criminalizes willful concealment of federal records, with penalties including fines and up to three years imprisonment
Assumptions
- The use of 'Benghazi' as a subject line was intentionally deceptive rather than coincidental
- Planned Parenthood affiliates were genuinely ineligible for the loans under CARES Act provisions
- Congressional oversight requests were legitimate and deserved transparent responses
- The Federal Records Act applies to these internal communications
- Sen. Ernst's interpretation of the emails accurately reflects the officials' intent