House Hearings On State Department IG Shows Conflict
By Nicole Belle Tuesday Nov 13, 2007 1:31pm
The Oversight Committee is currently holding a hearing, "Assessing the State Department Inspector General." Inspector General Howard J. Krongard will testify. On September 28th, Chairman Henry Waxman wrote to Krongard on allegations that he was using intimidation of employees to block the Committee's investigation of issues in Iraq, and on October 12th Chairman Waxman was joined by several other Chairmen in a letter to Secretary Rice about endemic corruption in Iraq and the refusal of State Department officials to answer basic questions about the impact of corruption within the Maliki government on the chances of success in Iraq.
In this clip, Rep. Eilijah Cummings questions Krongard on evidence that his brother is on the board of Blackwater, which Krongard disputes but agrees would call for his recusal on Blackwater if true.
Transcript below the fold
Rep. Cummings: "This is a September 5th email that Eric Prince sent to your brother. It says, quote: ‘Welcome and thank you for accepting the invitation to be a member of the board.' My question is this: did you know that your brother, Buzzy Krongard, was on Blackwater's advisory board?"
Krongard: "Sir, I dispute that, as far as I know that is not correct. This is, you asked me to comment on this letter. Sir, my brother served honorably as a captain in the United States Marine Corps. He served as the Executive Director of the CIA. He has been involved in a lot of activities involving security. So it's no surprise that someone like Erik Prince would invite him to continue to support 'security, peace, and freedom.' There is nothing in here that suggests that my brohter accepted this July 26th invitation, what you have now shown me is an email form Erik Prince to a large number of people that I assume were all people who received this. I don't see anything in here that suggests my brother accepted or attended, and as far as I know he did neither."
Rep. Cummings: "Well let me go on, then, because I do think the letter indicates that he did accept. But Mr. Krongard, this is one of the most high profile issues facing the State Department, and your testimony today is that you didn't know your own brother is on the Blackwater board. I find that very difficult to believe - let me ask you this, Mr. Krongard, did you know where your brother is this week, do you know?"
Krongard: "No sir, I don't."
Rep. Cummings: "According to this email, Mr. Prince invited your brother to be at a board meeting to discuss strategic planning. And this meeting is taking place right now, in Williamsburg, Virginia, this week as we speak. Staff contacted the hotel to speak to your brother and the hotel confirmed that he was scheduled to be there. Did you know that?"
Krongard: "No sir, I did not."
Rep. Cummings: "And so, if your brother is a board member, which you said he's not, but if he is - since I know you're sensitive to conflict - would you agree that you should recuse yourself of anything dealing with Blackwater investigations?"
Krongard: "Yes, sir. And that was why - first of all, by the nature of my brother's work, you should understand that we have never discussed his work or my work, so I had no reason to even think that he had any involvement with Blackwater. But, when these things surfaced, I called him and I asked him directly, he has told me he does have any involvement, he does not have any financial interest. If you're telling me he does absolutely I would recuse myself."
Rep. Cummings: "You will recuse yourself?"
Krongard: "Absolutely."
Rep. Cummings: "Immediately?"
Krongard: "Absolutely."
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where is the bottom?
Check out the full testimony. At one point he says, "I'm not my brother's keeper." Does he realize what he did? He quoted Cain, the world's first murderer, in his defense. What a moron.
Gen 4:9
Jeez Louise .... by any chance is his other brother named Daryll?
He will recuse himself? Anybody out there believe this? This man is, after all, a Republican, correct?
willful ignorance
heh...
‘Welcome and thank you for accepting the invitation to be a member of the board.’
“Well let me go on, then, because I do think the letter indicates that he did accept..."
Umm, ya I'm pretty sure it did.
And when it is proved, no one will do anything about it as the usual pundits will just keep shouting 9/11 and terrorists in the face of the people who think differently or who are actually capable of critical thinking.
Has black water got that private policing in texas yet I wonder ......
As the Warden in "Cool Hand Luke" said..."What we have here(between brothers) is
a failure to communicate."
When something smells this bad you know the fecal matter is near by.
I checked the blackwater site to see if they listed their board members and I couldn't find a list or anything.
TPM has more on this...Apparently its the Blackwater "advisory board" not the BOD. Small difference but worth mentioning.
Oh and it looks like Ken Starr is working for Blackwater, too.
Shocking!!
From Whitewater to Blackwater....great title on that link, Johnny2Bad. I guess Starr has come full circle in the water department.
CIA+WallStreet+Drugs=money laundering...
Check out Buzzy's career in detail.
Blackwater is a threat to national security because any organization that posesses the ability to overthrow the government is a threat.
Blackwater is the platform for the coup...mark my words.
trixr4kids @ 6:
Yeah, that caught my attention too. F***ing scary. Are they that dumb or do they think Congress and the American people are that dumb? And then the clown basicly says that he'd only recluse himself if Buzzy had "any financial interest".
Buzzy Krongard was the director of the bank that placed "puts" on airline stock shortly before 9/11. This was reported by the San Francisco Gate Newspaper. His protoge, Charles Schattuck, left the same bank and became CEO of Constellation energy on September 12, 2001. Constellation Energy had a seat at the Cheney task force and was able to "fasttrack" re-licensing of a fleet of aging nuclear power plants on the east coast.
Heck of Job Brownie is put in charge of a fleet of aging nukes. Keeps me up late at night.
The bank they both worked at was Brown Brothers Harriman which Prescott Bush was a part owner along with the usual cast of Good Shepherds, Bonesmen from Yale.
Oh . . . who cares . . . screw it . . . . our democracy was just an illusion anywho.
pissed off patricia @ 11:
Appears as if Starr continues to be crawling around in the gutters and sewer systems
Erik Prince needs a plane ticket to Gitmo
Big John @ 12:
Big John is corret:
Chicago Public Radio (2 weeks ago)
http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/Program_WV_Series.aspx?seriesID=52
Celerino "Cele" Castillo, III — Author, Powderburns: Cocaine, Contras and the Drug War; 12 year veteren of DEA; Witnessed drug smuggling by Nicaraguan Contras from the Ilopango Air Force Base with the same pilots, planes and hangers as the CIA used, under the direction of Lt. Col. Oliver North, for covert supply to the Contras.
Terrible @ 13:
Doggiebobo @ 8:
Ahhhh yes, Strother Martin (R.I.P.) as "The Captain"....Great stuff.
...and again the Republicans on the committee attack the Democrats for daring to provide a little oversight. Our entire government is in free-fall because of the incompetents and partisans Bush has installed and the Republicans abdicated any of their responsibility. Now they behave like petulant children during oversight hearings. I'm sick of most of them.
Shays was having a hissy fit during the whole meeting and finally Waxman basically told him to shut his whiny ass up at the end. These hearings are great but even with the oversight...we find out they are dirty...and still end up passing everything boosh wants and roll over like submissive dogs.
Its baffling how much crap they have on the wingers and yet do nothing about it or in some cases flip to the dark side.
Interesting to see how the Blackwater tentacles of influence have made (or attempted to make) their way into the highest levels of oversight and investigation of Blackwater itself.
Beyond '08: Can progressives play for keeps?
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He's lying!
Doggiebobo @ 18:
Later, during a break, Cookie came back and announced that he had just called his brother and confirmed that his brother, indeed, was working for Blackwater as an advisory board member. He then announce he would now recuse himself on all issues involving Blackwater.
So it is all sorted now.
Our gubmint is beyond broken.
Ha! Ol' Buzzy is on the Board.
Guess you're out of it, little man!
You can't get anything past her
E Ryno @ 14:
Sheesh this one jumps out and grabs you. Big time connection here. Another, recently on CNN Wolf Blitzer had a short news clip about that close Arab ruling family that close business and political friend of the Bush family for decades Bandar Bin Laden say’s he warned Bush about 911 but Bush didn’t do anything. Really did anyone else it so far it’s only ran one time guess the Arabs flipped out and had it pulled. I almost pissed in pants.
Now I could understand how Bush just sat their in that Florida grade school reading a goat story after he was in formed the first tower was hit. My goodness Bush being a first responder and if he didn’t know what was happening Bush should have jumped into action. But Bush just sat there kept reading that goat story waiting for the conformation of the second hit then he went. Bush knew 911 was coming down.
joze46 @ 29:
Say WHAAAAAA????????????????? What are you trying to tell us?
bush's administration is the most corupt the United States has ever had to endure. i am embarrassed that Congress contiues to allow these criminals to demolish the constitution and the civil rights of the U S citizens. the country has become a fascist state thru the contribution of the entire congress. if the terrorists running our govt ever get their due karma, then bush would self-destruct. oh, he is and bringing the entire country with him.
Nick wrote: "Later, during a break, Cookie came back and announced that he had just called his brother and confirmed that his brother, indeed, was working for Blackwater as an advisory board member. He then announce he would now recuse himself on all issues involving Blackwater.
"So it is all sorted now."
What happens now is Krongard "recuses" himself and his deputy takes over those matters which concern Blackwater. Anyone who thinks that deputy won't receive "careful guidance" from Kronguard is fooling himself.
Do a little research about ole' Howard Krongard. He is a real jewell.
After nearly seven years Crazy King George’s Rabbit Hole somehow manages to get more bizarre everyday;
You’re the “Inspector General” of the Department of State and the Committee Chair has to tell you that your brother is on the board of the largest contractor the State Department has ever had.
Uhhm, let’s see, this means you are either;
a) an idiot
b) a lying scumbag
www.curlydog.com/blog
c) completely incompetent beyond any measure known to man
d) all of the above
Doggiebobo @ 8:
No, there was a no failure to communicate between the bros. They thought they could brass it out but were caught foursquare.
They might've pulled it off, too.
Thank God Feinstein isn't on the Oversight Committee!
You see this is the kind of shit I am so sick of. These people are allowed to sit their asses on the wittiness stands in front of US Congress and just lie like the snakes they are and get away with it.
This ass hole should have had the hand cuffs on and lead out of there straight to jail .
Yes it is good that Congress is doing the necessary over site as they are required by law to enforce, however it is just as important that these people are held accountable for their actions also. They should not still be holding the same federal positions they are in, including George Bush , Cheney and Condi and those that are holding contracts with the federal government, should have the contracts revoked and stop all funding to them.
This is the reason I am so disappointed in the Democratic leadership that refuse to take a stand on issues they do have control of. If they would shut this money down and stop blowing smoke up our asses about this support the troop shit, they know is not happening in the first place, we could get control of this shit.
I heard Congresswoman Waters this evening on the Power Station, talking about the country is split. I love Ms. Waters as she has been a rock for the black community, but I beg to differ with her opinion of trying to cover for the ass holes in her party that refuse to see the dame light. This country is not split and I don't give a dame what the trumped up polls she and the others are reading (they get from Rupert Murdock media), is telling them.
They need to know that 89% of this country want the illegal war ended, we want Bush and all the republicans involved in this corruption removed from office and to stand trial for their dirty deeds, we want our law enforcement and court system returned to a civil state, get rid of those bastards in robes, posing as judges and fire all the law enforcement that are out right murdering and killing our kids and then lying about the deeds, we want them to immediately stop funding Bushe's crime span using our money while we go without, and we want the Rupert Murdock media shut down and take his presidential hopefuls with him, and most of all stop trying to play us for fools. We know more about what is going on then most all of them put together will ever know.
They can accomplish this by starting with blocking the money to this bastard and prevent any veto bull shit. They can starve these greedy bastards
StCyrlyMe @ 37:
You're 100% right. Fire him, arrest him, charge him, put him on trial.
There is going to be a five year term limit on FSOs so that more Americans can serve. This is better fordiplomacy and should stop the corruption.
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