# State Dept. IG accused of blocking probes into contracting fraud in Iraq, Afghanistan

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-dept-ig-accused-of-blocking-probes-into-contracting-fraud-in-iraq-afghanistan/419690>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [September 19, 2007, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-dept-ig-accused-of-blocking-probes-into-contracting-fraud-in-iraq-afghanistan/419690 "2007-09-19T01:55:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-dept-ig-accused-of-blocking-probes-into-contracting-fraud-in-iraq-afghanistan/419690/1 "2007-09-19T01:55:41Z")

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Henry Waxman (D-CA), Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, released a 13-page letter, full of allegations against Howard J. Krongard, Inspector General of the State Department, purportedly based on testimony from seven current and former staff members of Krongard’s office. From the [_Washington Post:_](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/18/AR2007091800799.html?hpid=topnews)

> [@](#):
>
> Waxman accused Howard Krongard of:
> 
> - Refusing to send investigators to Iraq and Afghanistan to investigate $3 billion worth of State Department contracts.
> 
> - Preventing his investigators from cooperating with a Justice Department probe into waste and fraud in the construction of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.
> 
> - Using “highly irregular” procedures to personally exonerate the embassy’s prime contractor of labor abuses.
> 
> - Interfering in the investigation of a close friend of former White House adviser Karl Rove.
> 
> - Censoring reports on embassies to prevent full disclosure to Congress.
> 
> - Refusing to publish critical audits of State’s financial statements.
> 
> Among the e-mails obtained by the committee are exchanges in which staff members discussed Krongard’s decision not to cooperate with the Justice Department on the embassy investigation.

That’s right, the Justice Department. As thoroughly politicized and servile as the Justice Department has become in this Administration, the IG of the State Department still doesn’t dare cooperate with it. **What is he so anxious to hide?!**

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**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-dept-ig-accused-of-blocking-probes-into-contracting-fraud-in-iraq-afghanistan/419690/2 "2007-09-19T02:26:42Z")

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What is he hiding? The rest of it, the stuff we don’t already know. Which, we may reasonably assume, is worse.

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**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-dept-ig-accused-of-blocking-probes-into-contracting-fraud-in-iraq-afghanistan/419690/3 "2007-09-19T13:01:08Z")

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[QUOTE=BrainGlutton]  
**What is he so anxious to hide?!**  
[/QUOTE]

I should think that the more (immediately) important question is: **What can / is going to be done about it?**

Post-election 2004, my one comfort was the possibility that this Administration would be held responsible for their actions. As happy as some events since then have made me (I honestly didn’t think Gonzales would _ever_ resign), I have little hope that too much more will be discovered – especially with [budget shortfalls](http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/09/budget-shortfal.html) being the latest impediment to investigations.

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-dept-ig-accused-of-blocking-probes-into-contracting-fraud-in-iraq-afghanistan/419690/4 "2007-09-19T17:43:22Z")

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[QUOTE=Digital Stimulus]  
I should think that the more (immediately) important question is: **What can / is going to be done about it?**  
[/QUOTE]

Well, there’s still Waxman’s committee. They can subpoena Krongard . . . and then he can invoke executive privilege . . . and they can cite him for contempt . . . and then refer the matter to the Justice Dep **AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!!!** :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: