State Department spokesperson Marie Harf confirmed that no formal disciplinary action will be taken against the four employees who were criticized in the ARB report on the Benghazi terror attacks:
Q: OK. Is it true that Senator -- that Secretary Kerry has not issued any kind of disciplinary action -- formal disciplinary action against the four employees who were criticized in the interim report -- in the investigative report? And are they back at work?
MS. HARF: The State Department has determined that the four officials who were placed on administrative leave following the independent Benghazi accountability review board's reports should be reassigned to different positions within the department, and they will be returning to work. The State Department's own review over the last month reaffirmed the findings of the ARB that there was no breach of duty by these four employees and that, coupled with our efforts to strengthen security, the right answer for these four was reassignment.
What we're focused on at the State Department is making sure we're doing everything in our power to prevent another tragedy, even though we recognize that we operate in a volatile and dangerous world.
And everyone from the secretary on down is squarely focused on moving forward to strengthen security and protect our people and our facilities all around the world. Clearly we know we can never completely eliminate the risk, but we are firmly committed to making sure we do everything we can to stand by our people in the field.
Q: Are they back at work?
MS. HARF: I don't have specific details about when they will actually start back at work, but as of today, yes, they have new assignments.
Q: Was the independent Accountability Review Board then wrong in its assessment of the account of what happened that night?
MS. HARF: Well, no. Actually what I just said, I think, is that the State Department's own review, which has taken place over these months, actually reaffirmed the Accountability Review Board's findings, which were that they saw serious concerns or concerns with some of the steps and actions of these four individuals, but that they did not determine that there had been a breach of duty.
So what we've done over these past few months is go back and look at all the fact and also take into account the totality of these four employees' overall careers at the State Department. And what we found in that review is that many of them -- they have served honorably, often in very tough places. And that was all take into account. But actually I would disagree with the notion of your question. I think our review reaffirmed the ARB's --
Q: But the ARB did say that the actions that were taken were -- and I'm using the quote that the ARB used -- were inadequate. Is that correct?
MS. HARF: I don't have that quote in front of me --
Q: Those actions were made by these four individuals?
MS. HARF: I know that when it comes specifically to these four individuals that we're talking about today, that specific part, that they said -- the ARB found that there had been a lack of proactive leadership and management ability specifically regarding what happened in Benghazi.
Q: Specifically regarding these four individuals?
MS. HARF: Correct.
But there was no breach of duty.
Q: Who are back to work today?
MS. HARF: But that there's no breach of duty. So the State Department reaffirmed that same finding, and made a decision that all four would return to work but they would be reassigned.