State Dept. IG Retaliates Against Whistblowers, Threatens ‘Their Jobs And Careers’

[kpete]

State Dept. IG Retaliates Against Whistblowers, Threatens ‘Their Jobs And Careers’

Approximately 10 days ago, House Oversight Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) wrote to State Department Inspector General Howard Krongard to report allegations from seven IG employees that he “has repeatedly interfered with on-going investigations to protect the State Department and the White House from political embarrassment.”

Krongard has thwarted investigations into waste, fraud and abuse in Iraq. He has also “refused to cooperate with an investigation into alleged weapons smuggling by a large, unidentified State Department contractor.”

Today, Waxman sent Krongard another disturbing letter that reveals the State Department Inspector General has been retaliating against the whistleblowers. Waxman writes:
http://oversight.house.gov/documents/20070928101631.pdf

This week, several current employees in your office — including two who have agreed to go on the record — informed the Committee that your senior staff attempted to coerce them not to cooperate with the committee’s inquiry and threatened their jobs and careers.

In the letter, Waxman explains that one week after he informed Krongard of the accusations being made by employees within his department, the whistleblowers were accosted by one of Krongard’s subordinates: a congressional affairs liaison who works for the State IG’s office. Here’s what one whistleblower reports that he was told:

The congressional liaison told him: “You have no protection against reprisal. You have no whistleblower protections. Howard could retaliate and you would have no recourse.”

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/09/28/krongard-retaliates/

[Enrique]

1. Waxman's letter is a must read

I especially like

"You should be aware - and you should advise your staff - that Congress has passed
civil and criminal prohibitions against threatening and tampering with witnesses, retaliating
against whistleblowers, and providing false information to Congress.' If Special Agent
Militana's and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Rubendall's accounts are true, some or all of
these provisions may be implicated."

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

7. I think legal action should be taken, immediately.

Once the ball gets rolling, more whistle-blowers may be inspired to come out.

Just my opinion.

[Bandit]

8. Maybe we should hold our breath on legal recourse...

I doubt seriously that anything at all is going to happen to anyone from this current Administration. Even when one of them does get convicted of say, five felony counts, they get off Scott free. Democrats are nothing more than paper tigers..

[EFerrari]

2. No wonder we're starting wars all over. Thugs are running State. n/t

[Enrique]

3. Krongard's son is seeking a restraining order against him (no joke)

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5irl6MXULn8mfHaOQ6OAwaboETf5g

WASHINGTON (AP) — The son and daughter-in-law of a State Department official are seeking a restraining order to stop what they claim are unprofessional and offensive e-mails in a dispute over a personal loan, The Washington Post reported Thursday.

The State Department's inspector general, Howard J. Krongard, is already under scrutiny from a House committee over whether he hindered inquiries into contractor fraud in Iraq and Afghanistan and mistreated subordinates.

Last year, Krongard sued his son, Kenneth W. Krongard, and his daughter-in-law, Kristin, over a home loan that he said they had defaulted on, the Post reported. Although they repaid the loan, which was $320,000, after the suit was filed, Krongard has demanded hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional interest and penalties as well as legal fees, the newspaper reported.

In Krongard's e-mails included in a recent court filing, the Post reported, he berated his son and at one point said in urging a settlement, "If you are willing to put your wife and children's future in jeopardy, that's your business."

(...)

[EFerrari]

4. So that's who it was! Republican family values at their best.:

:scared:

[hisownpetard]

5. Daddy Dearest. nt

[tech3149]

6. Man, that sounds like the antithises of my parents

I always knew I was lucky, but just didn't know how lucky.

[tanyev]

9. Nice family. His brother is Buzzy Krongard.

You may recall his involvement with the 9/11 put options.

[loudsue]

11. No shit? Man! Times like these I REALLY miss Seemslikeadream!

Is she ever coming back to DU? :cry:

:kick:

[Theres-a]

10. .

:kick: