Son Seeks Restraining Order on Official (State Department)

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Washington Post

Son Seeks Restraining Order on Official

By Glenn Kessler
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, September 27, 2007; Page A23

The son and daughter-in-law of State Department Inspector General Howard J. Krongard have asked a judge to issue a restraining order forcing him to stop sending "unprofessional and highly offensive" e-mails that suggested the family would be put "on the street" if they lost a lawsuit Krongard has filed against them, according to documents filed last week in a New Jersey court.

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is investigating whether Krongard, a lawyer who was general counsel of Deloitte and Touche, thwarted politically embarrassing inquiries into contractor fraud and treated subordinates poorly.

A letter to Krongard last week from the committee's chairman, Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), accused Krongard of creating a "dysfunctional office environment in which you routinely berate and belittle personnel, show contempt for the abilities of career government professionals and cause the staff to fear coming to work." The letter said high personnel turnover has left the office with many senior-level vacancies and only seven of 27 investigator positions filled.

Krongard filed suit last year against his son, Kenneth W. Krongard, and his daughter-in-law, Kristin, over a home loan that he said they had defaulted on. They paid back the full loan -- then totaling about $320,000 -- within weeks of his suit being filed.





Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/26/AR2007092602285.html?nav=rss_print/asection

[Judi Lynn]

1. Background on 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.<1> Krongard has been accused of "repeatedly interfer with investigations into fraud and abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan, including security defects at the new United States Embassy in Baghdad."<2>

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."<3>

Accusations
In his 14-page letter,<4> 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.<2>

Waxman "has the goods on Krongard. 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,><5> trying to justify his own actions and particularly his own investigation into the construction of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad."<6>

"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 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<7> that the unnamed company was Blackwater."<2>

More:
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Howard_J._Krongard



Krongard.

[aquart]

4. Another poisonous POS.

Does he at least have the excuse of a brain tumor? Early Alzheimer's?

[formercia]

5. Another "Cookie" SMOM asshole. n/t

[ClintonTyree]

2. The next President of our country.......

whomever he or she may be, is going to spend the bulk of their first term rooting out the neo-cons that have been strategically placed throughout the entire U.S. government. They've so entrenched their operatives into every aspect of our government that is would be impossible to function in a productive fashion.

Everything is political to these assholes. It doesn't make one iota of a difference if people are qualified for a position or not, as long as they're loyal to Der Fuhrer, George Bush.

Krongard sounds like the typical Conservative "family values" kind of guy. Everyone else's family must follow some arbitrary, inane moral code to be TRUE Americans, but these same rules don't apply to their own personal lives. It's the old "do as I say, not as I do" hypocritical bullshit they're so famous for. :mad:

[Demeter]

3. The Next President BETTER Spend the First Months Rooting Out Neocons!

Or he/she won't be able to govern at all! And that includes impeachment and/or prosecution of all criminals in the Bush/Cheney regime, starting with those two!

[monktonman]

9. The next president will BE a neocon

Who says they have to be republics to be fascist's?

[Demeter]

14. I Just Hope We Get Lucky, Monktonman

Because getting smarter takes generations.

[rodeodance]

6. does not look like much gets done in this Office:

.....The letter said high personnel turnover has left the office with many senior-level vacancies and only seven of 27 investigator positions filled.

[LiberalFighter]

7. A word to describe the Bush administration.... INBREEDING

[Turbineguy]

8. Breaking Government

Mission Getting Accomplished.

[donsu]

10. true, their plan to destroy the govt. is just about complete

that's why they are free to smirk

and makes jokes like saying chilrens instead of children. that was an inside joke.

[rich1107]

11. Gotta love the names of these facists..,

"Cookie", "Buzzy" where do they get this crap, bad pulp fiction? If a person has to have a nickname it is clue to wear protection when dealing with them;)

[Trillo]

12. Waxman is such an idealist.

"dysfunctional office environment in which you routinely berate and belittle personnel, show contempt for the abilities of career government professionals and cause the staff to fear coming to work."

Is there any other kind?

I never worked in an office, except my own, but it was my experience of some years that beratement and belittlement were simply the way all business was done.

Perhaps working for the government 'should be' a more pleasant form of work for those of us who are 'only' HS grads? Perhaps those with college degrees have the ability to find less 'demeaning' employers?

edit:
The ursury demand of Krongard senior to his son is a sure sign of love and compassion. (wee bit of sarcasm)

[rich1107]

13. Perhaps those with college degrees have the ability to find less 'demeaning' employers?

Maybe they find it easier to vote with their feet, but if you have a family, mortgage, etc. it is never easy to find another job that meets your needs. From what I have seen having a college education is no proof against being a tyrant on the job.

[eppur_se_muova]

15. Heckuva job, Krony!

Finally a nickname that works!