Waxman: State IG’s Brother Sits on Blackwater’s Advisory BoardAt the beginning of today’s House oversight committee hearing on State Department Inspector General Howard “Cookie” Krongard, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) dropped a bombshell: Krongard’s brother, former CIA Executive Director A.B. “Buzzy” Krongard, sits on Blackwater’s advisory board. Blackwater, of course, is a State Department contractor.
Calling Krongard’s case one of seemingly “reckless incompetence,” Waxman reminded the hearing that one of the charges against Krongard is that he squelched an investigation into a State contractor — since named as Blackwater — smuggling weapons into Iraq. According to Waxman, Howard Krongard concealed his brother’s association with Blackwater from “his own deputy.” Here’s video:
Update: Krongard just said he is “unaware of any financial interest” in Blackwater by his brother. “I do not believe it is true that he is a member of the advisory board, as you stated,” he told Waxman.
Late Update: To be clear, the issue seems to be that Blackwater invited Krongard’s brother to join its advisory board, not its board of directors. This post has been changed to reflect this clarification.
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