Blackwater and the Brothers Krongard: how Cookie crumbled
Cronyism never seems to
end.
These thugs love their black helicopters
Howard Krongard, the embattled State Department inspector general who is accused of blocking investigations into security contractor Blackwater Worldwide, abruptly recused himself from all Blackwater inquiries yesterday after a congressional panel confronted him with evidence that his brother is serving on a company advisory board.
Testifying under oath before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Howard Krongard at first denied as an “ugly rumor” that his brother had any financial interest or position with Blackwater. “I specifically asked him,” Krongard insisted.
But Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, a Baltimore Democrat, produced a letter from Blackwater chairman Erik Prince asking “Buzzy” Krongard to serve on the firm’s advisory board.
The House committee opened an investigation of Krongard’s tenure at the State Department this fall, including allegations that he blocked Justice Department investigations into waste and fraud in connection with the construction of the new U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, and that he refused to work with the department on a probe of Blackwater for alleged arms smuggling, according to a report issued yesterday by the committee’s majority staff.
Watching the testimony on TV was a hoot. After lunch break, “Cookie” Krongard admitted his brother’s affiliation; but, said he’d just learned of it. Other sources testified his brother told him weeks ago.
Government by cronyism and complicity seems to be the rule.
Posted: Thu - November 15, 2007 at 09:54 AM