House Benghazi panel interviews 'John from Iowa'

The unidentified drone operator has earned derision from the Pentagon and committee Democrats, who say the GOP-led panel has made a series of costly, duplicative and unnecessary requests — including some based on claims made on Facebook or talk radio.

A senior Pentagon official, Stephen C. Hedger, criticized the Republican-led investigation in April, saying the panel has made a "crescendo" of costly, duplicative and unnecessary requests, including some based on claims made on Facebook or talk radio.

While Hedger and other Pentagon officials claimed the Defense Department was expending "significant resources to locate" the drone operator, "the Air Force knew exactly who had called into the talk radio show in 2013," the committee said.