State Dept.'s Inspector General Quits

The State Department’s inspector general will step down next month, ending a tenure marked by controversy and allegations of conflicts of interest, the Washington Post reports. Critics accused Howard Krongard of impeding the Blackwater investigation, a charge he vigorously denied. He recused himself from the probe when it became public his brother sat on the company's advisory board.

In his resigination letter, Krongard said he was proud of his accomplishments but criticized the bitter "rancor and distrust" in Washington. Current and former State Department officials also accused Krongard of blocking an investigation into charges of fiscal mismanagement during construction of the $736 million US embassy in Baghdad. (More Blackwater stories.)