Fox News contributor Allen West questioned the “loyalties” of decorated veteran and Illinois Rep. Tammy Duckworth for serving with her fellow Democrats on the Benghazi select committee.

West attacked the recently announced Democratic members of the newly formed committee for dismissing the importance of Benghazi during an appearance on the May 21 broadcast of The Janet Mefferd Show.

West remarked of Duckworth: “I just don't know where her loyalties lie. You know, for her to have been a veteran, a wounded warrior for the United States Army, she should know that this is not the right thing. And hopefully, you know, she will remember the oath of office that she took as an Army officer and not the allegiance I guess she believes she has to the liberal progressives of the Democrat Party.”

As her congressional biography notes, Duckworth “was one of the first Army women to fly combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom until her helicopter was hit by an RPG on November 12, 2004. Duckworth lost her legs and partial use of her right arm in the explosion and was awarded a Purple Heart for her combat injuries.” She became a well-known advocate for veterans, and served as the director of the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs and then Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs on the federal level. She is currently a Lieutenant Colonel in the Illinois Army National Guard.

West is also a decorated veteran of the war in Iraq, albeit one whose service ended in controversy. He subsequently served one term in Congress, becoming a Fox News contributor after Florida voters declined to reelect him. During the interview, he also attacked Reps. Elijah Cummings, Adam Schiff, Adam Smith, and Linda Sanchez, the other Democratic appointees to the Benghazi select committee. West claimed that Smith is “one of those geeky little debaters that is going to try to micromanage every single detail,” while Sanchez has a “very whiny way.” 

West has said Congress should consider impeaching President Obama over Benghazi. In a fundraising email for his political action committee, he accused the Obama administration of lying to the public and participating in “an ongoing cover-up to hide the truth.” He's also claimed the administration has been disingenuously caring about the kidnapping of Nigerian schoolgirls to distract the public from Benghazi.

From the May 21 edition of Salem Radio Network's The Janet Mefferd Show:

WEST: Adam Smith -- I can tell you he was the ranking member on the Armed Services Committee when I was there -- is just one of those geeky little debaters that is going to try to micromanage every single detail and just like you say, just tie everything up in knots. Ms. [Linda] Sanchez, the exact same thing. She's another one of those individuals that will, with the very whiny way that she has, to try to not get to the bottom of this but tie it, tie it up.

And the last person, Tammy Duckworth, you know, I just don't know where her loyalties lie. You know, for her to have been a veteran, a wounded warrior for the United States Army, she should know that this is not the right thing. And hopefully, you know, she will remember the oath of office that she took as an Army officer and not the allegiance I guess she believes she has to the liberal progressives of the Democrat Party.