Krongard’s Deputy Didn’t Know of Blackwater ConnectionHere’s what Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) meant yesterday when he said Howard “Cookie” Krongard’s deputy was in the dark about the State Department’s inspector general’s familial ties to Blackwater.
Contained in a just-released House oversight committee report (pdf) put together by the Democratic staff is this exchange between staff members and Deputy Inspector General Bill Todd:
Q: Do you know whether Mr. Krongard has any relationship with Blackwater or any individuals affiliated with Blackwater?A: I asked him about it. He says no. …
Q: Do you know whether his brother, Buzzy Krongard, is affiliated with Blackwater in any way?
A: I have no knowledge of that. I asked him that.
Q: And what did he say?
A: Absolutely not.
It’s unclear when Todd was deposed, though I’m checking that with the committee staff. The timing is significant: Buzzy Krongard says he told Cookie Krongard he was joining Blackwater’s advisory board about two to three weeks ago. Did Cookie Krongard misrepresent himself to Todd? Indeed, what occasioned Todd’s inquiry into Krongard’s ties to Blackwater in the first place? I have a call out to the State Department Inspector General’s office to try and figure all this out as well.
Similarly, I’m hearing State will release a prepared statement this evening about Condoleezza Rice’s ability to fire Krongard. Apparently I wasn’t the only reporter today curious about how firing an inspector general works.
Update: Turns out the interview with Todd took place on October 12. That would be before Buzzy told Cookie he was taking the Blackwater position, according to Buzzy’s timeline.