Howard J. Krongard

Howard J. "Cookie" Krongard was sworn in May 2, 2005, as Inspector General for the U.S. Department of State and the Broadcasting Board of Governors. Krongard has been accused of "repeatedly interfer[ing] with investigations into fraud and abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan, including security defects at the new United States Embassy in Baghdad."

Since September 18, 2007, Rep. Henry A. Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, has "accused Krongard both of quashing numerous inquiries into corruption in Iraq and retaliating against employees who alerted committee staff to the problem." Additionally, the National Journal reports that the FBI "wants to ask Krongard's former employees some questions" about his activities.

Krongard's brother, A.B. "Buzzy" Krongard, was formerly the executive director at the Central Intelligence Agency "(its number three position--he was replaced with the infamous Dusty Foggo)." Buzzy Krongard "worked alongside Cofer Black, now Blackwater's vice chairman, who was director of the CIA's Counterterrorist Center until 2002. After his tenure at the CIA, Cofer Black worked at the State Department as its Ambassador-at-Large — a roving ambassador — for counterterrorism, before going to work at Blackwater in February 2005."

On November 14, 2007 Howard Krongard abruptly recused himself on all matters relating to Blackwater after a congressional panel confronted him with evidence that his brother is serving on a Blackwater advisory board. 

Accusations
In his 14-page letter, on September 18, 2007, Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, wrote: "One consistent element in these allegations is that you believe your foremost mission is to support the Bush administration, especially with respect to Iraq and Afghanistan, rather than act as an independent and objective check on waste, fraud and abuse on behalf of U.S. taxpayers." Waxman "invited" Krongard to "respond to the accusations at a committee hearing" on October 16. 2007.

Seven current and former employees of the IG's office have offered damning testimony about Krongard's frequent, partisan, and improper interference into investigations. These include the former Assistant IG for Investigations, John DeDona, and his Deputy, Ralph McNamara, both of whom resigned after Krongard 'halted or impeded investigations undertaken by their office.' They've also given Waxman plenty of documentation, including some extremely embarrassing inter-office emails among investigators who resented Krongard's abuse of his office.

"The Committee got this damning testimony after Krongard had testified to the Committee on July 26, [2007,] trying to justify his own actions and particularly his own investigation into the construction of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad."

"One facet of Mr. Waxman's inquiry reportedly involves Blackwater USA, the security company that was banned by the Iraqi government from working in the country after a shooting on [September 16, 2007,] that left eight Iraqis dead." Waxman told Krongard that "he had been accused of impeding an investigation of a security company suspected of 'illegally smuggling weapons into Iraq.' The Associated Press reported that the unnamed company was Blackwater."

Another accusation is that Krongard "interfered with an investigation of Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, at the time the head of Voice of America and a close associate of Karl Rove, President Bush's former political adviser", by "passing information about the inquiry" to Tomlinson.

In 2006, "State Department investigators determined [that] Tomlinson had used his office to run a 'horse racing operation' and had improperly put a friend on the payroll." Tomlinson, "who resigned in January [2007], has denied doing anything improper."

Profiles
Prior to joining the Bush administration, between 1996 and 2005, Krongard was Of Counsel at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and a "Director of The National Legal Center for the Public Interest, Washington, DC; a Public Director of the Pacific Exchange (which also acts as Self Regulatory Organization for the Pacific Exchange and the Archipelago Exchange) and Member of its Audit Committee and Regulatory Oversight Committee; a Director of PCX Holdings (demutualized parent company of Pacific Exchange); Director, PCX Equities, Inc. and Member of its Business Conduct Committee; a Member, Council on Foreign Relations Task Force on Non-Lethal Weapons; and the U.S. Representative to the International Lacrosse Federation."

Biographical chronology
The following chronology is according to an Associated Press biography of Howard J. Krongard published September 18, 2007.


 * Inspector General of the State Department and the Broadcasting Board of Governors, 2005-present
 * Of Counsel, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, 1996-2005
 * General Counsel, Deloitte & Touche LLP, 1989-95
 * General Counsel, Deloitte, Haskins & Sells, 1986-89
 * Associate General Counsel, Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co., 1973-86
 * Law clerk to Judge Kenneth B. Keating, N.Y. Court of Appeals, 1966
 * Associate, Cravath, Swaine & Moore, 1965, 1966-73
 * Associate, Piper & Marbury, 1964
 * BA, Princeton University, 1961
 * JD, Harvard University, 1964
 * Postgraduate study, Cambridge University, 1964-65

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Bush administration cronyism and incompetence
 * reconstruction of Iraq
 * Republican 'culture of corruption'

External articles

 * George J. Ledwith, "Reviewing the Case against KPMG," BusinessWeek, November 13, 2000.
 * Dan Robinson, "US Auditors Say Violence in Iraq Hinders Reconstruction," GlobalSecurity.org, October 19, 2005.
 * Yochi J. Dreazen, "Bill Shifts Oversight of Some Iraq Aid. Political Dispute over Funds Comes at a Transition Point for Bush's Reconstruction Effort," Wall Street Journal (Global Policy Forum), May 10, 2006.
 * Kathy Gill, "Iraq Reconstruction: Fraud-Filled Program To Be Exempt From Iraq Auditor Oversight?" About.com/US Politics, May 11, 2006.
 * Press Release: "Rep. Berman calls on President Bush to Fire Broadcasting Board of Governors Chairman Kenneth Tomlinson after Investigation Reveals Serious Misconduct," Office of Rep. Howard Berman, August 29, 2006.
 * James Glanz, "Congress Tells Auditor in Iraq to Close Office," New York Times (Common Dreams), November 3, 2006.
 * James Glanz and David Rohde, "U.S.-trained Afghan police force is failing, report says," New York Times/International Herald Tribune, December 4, 2006.
 * Jenny Mandel, "Lawmaker asks overseers to agree on meaning of 'waste'," GovExec.com, January 18, 2007.
 * News Release: "First five 'Scholars in the Nation's Service' announced. Government service program sees more support," Princeton University, April 26, 2007.
 * Renee Schoof, "Abuse of workers building U.S. embassy in Iraq is alleged," McClatchy Newspapers, July 26, 2007.
 * Barry Schweid, "Lawmakers probe embassy complex in Iraq," Associated Press (USA TODAY), July 26, 2007.
 * Robert Brodsky, "House panel probes charges of human trafficking in Iraq embassy project," GovExec.com, July 26, 2007.
 * David Isenberg, "Slaving away for Uncle Sam," Asia Times Online, August 2, 2007.
 * Nicola Smith, "‘Kidnapped’ Filipinos build US embassy," The Sunday Times (UK), August 5, 2007.
 * Diana Elias, "Company denies workers forced to Iraq," Associated Press (USA TODAY), August 12, 2007.
 * "State Department inspector general target of congressional probe," Associated Press (International Herald Tribune), September 18, 2007.
 * Klaus Marre, "Waxman: State Department IG tried to shield Bush administration from embarrassment," The Hill, September 18, 2007.
 * Justin Rood, "Whitewash of Embassy Labor Abuses Suggested," The Blotter Blog/ABC News, September 18, 2007.
 * "Official investigated over U.S. embassy in Iraq. House committee cites ex-inspectors as it looks at State inspector general," Associated Press (MSNBC), September 18, 2007.
 * John Bresnahan, "Waxman accuses State Dept. inspector general of blocking probes," The Politico, September 18, 2007.
 * Satyam Khanna, "Waxman: State Dept. Watchdog’s ‘Foremost Mission Is To Support The Bush Administration’," Think Progress, September 18, 2007.
 * Paul Kiel, "Waxman: State Investigator Blocked Corruption Probes," TPMmuckraker, September 18, 2007.
 * Glenn Kessler and Karen DeYoung, "State IG Accused of Averting Probes," Washington Post, September 19, 2007.
 * David Stout, "Top Democrat opens inquiry of U.S. State Department official," International Herald Tribune, September 19, 2007.
 * Stephanie Kirchgaessner, "US probes 'halted' to spare White House," Financial Times (MSNBC), September 19, 2007.
 * "State Dept. Watchdog Becomes Focus Of Contracting Probe," The Gate Blog/National Journal, September 19, 2007.
 * Spencer Ackerman, "Foreign Service Union Calls on State IG to Resign," TPMmuckraker, September 24, 2007.
 * David Wood, "Brother's Role Forces Exit of Blackwater Investigator," Baltimore Sun, November 15, 2007.

External resources

 * Howard Krongard - Department of State," WhiteHouse.gov.
 * Political Donations: Howard Krongard, NewsMeat.