Thanks for stopping by the booth, Howard Krongard

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Howard Krongard, the State Department’s Inspector General, has developed quite a reputation. Ostensibly, Krongard is responsible for being an internal watchdog, using his office as a check against fraud, abuse, and mismanagement.

As it turns out, Krongard has been an Inspector General in need of a general inspection. Instead of a watchdog that prevents and roots out wrongdoing, we have an IG who helps cover the scandals up. It led Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, to invite Krongard to the House today for a chat with his committee.

It really hasn’t gone well.

Right off the bat, Waxman dropped a bombshell: Krongard’s brother, former CIA Executive Director A.B. ‘Buzzy’ Krongard, sits on the board for Blackwater USA. Considering that Blackwater is a controversial State Department contractor, it starts to look like a conflict of interest.

This morning, in response to questions from Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), Krongard not only denied that his brother serves as a Blackwater board member, but also said he recently asked his brother about his involvement with the company. “I called him and I asked him directly, he has told me he does have any involvement,” Krongard said. He dismissed the very idea as an “ugly rumor.”

Shortly thereafter, Krongard conceded that the “ugly rumor” is true.

KRONGARD: This is in response to something I think you found important. During the break I did contact my brother. I reached him at home — he is not at the hotel. But I learned that he had been at the advisory board meeting yesterday. I had not been aware of that, and I want to state on the record right now that I hereby recuse myself from any matters having to do with Blackwater.

WAXMAN: I see. You indicated you had called your brother to ask him earlier whether he was on the board. He told you he wasn’t.

KRONGARD: Well that was about six weeks ago, and I was not aware — and this board meeting happened yesterday, and I found out just during the break that he had in fact attended yesterday.

Wouldn’t you know it, some lawmakers found all of this a little hard to believe.

http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/