Telling the truth is hard — at least for the State Department.

After a series of disastrous congressional appearances over the Benghazi scandal, the agency has approved a contract to train employees on how to testify and brief members of Congress, according to the Washington Times.

Then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton‘s testimony about the agency’s bungled response to the Benghazi terror attack is perhaps the most memorable example of the State Department’s failure in the hot seat.

 Photo Credit: examiner.com

Now, the agency has agreed to pay $545,000 for an Orlando, Fla., firm to teach employees such skills as “communicating with Congress” in one-on-one sessions and mock hearings.

The painful Benghazi hearings weren’t the only times the department had problems communicating with Congress, the Times pointed out.

There was former U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, who told a congressional committee, “I’m no real expert on China,” after Obama nominated him as ambassador to the Asian country. Or maybe you recall Noah Bryson Mamet, who admitted that despite traveling “pretty extensively around the world,” he had never been to Argentina, even after he was named ambassador to the country.

But Benghazi, particularly Clinton’s infamous “what difference does it make” testimony,  remains the poster child of botched State Department appearances before Congress.

Now that a certain prosecutor-turned-politician is leading the House special committee investigating the Benghazi attack, “How to Survive a Trey Gowdy Grilling” may be the most appropriate course the Orlando firm can offer State Department employees.

Then again, maybe the Internal Revenue Service has already taken up all the available seats in that class.

After the story broke, @FoxNews posted a tweet that generated numerous common-sense comments, including these:

State Department hires company to prep officials for congressional grillings http://t.co/SzToi5y0zU

— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 9, 2014

@FoxNews My tax dollar will be spent on teaching how to lie.

— Maury Wimbrow (@mow3) August 9, 2014

@FoxNews Haha..that is funny..Obama’s gov’t needs expert liars to prep them for hearings..#SisterPatriots #pjnet #waar #ccot #wwod #vasurge

— Mike Konkel (@KonkelMike) August 9, 2014

@FoxNews Obama and his crooks will be exposed. Stop voting for democrats!

— Pm3marston (@Pm3marston) August 9, 2014

@FoxNews One more example of how disrespectful the government is to the people who pay the bills

— amy garbacz (@amygarbacz) August 9, 2014

@FoxNews Text book is “Lying for Dummies”.

— lynn riley (@lynnriley14) August 9, 2014

@FoxNews Telling the truth does not require coaching. The American people deserve better. Wake Up America!

— J.R. Kennedy (@jr7jc) August 9, 2014

@FoxNews all that money spent just teaching them how to take the 5th

— John Woods (@redeyebrody) August 9, 2014

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Don Noel

A self-described "political enthusiast," Don Noel is a veteran of the local political scene with keen insights to share about the world of politics, government and nonprofits.

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