Cookie relinquishes increased authority.

Thinkprogress:


After yesterday agreeing to recuse himself from State Department investigations involving Blackwater, Inspector General Howard "Cookie" Krongard today gave up “his role in looking into corruption allegations involving the construction of the new U.S. embassy in Baghdad.” The AP reports:

Despite the fact that he has now recused himself from the State Department’s two main internal investigations in Iraq and has come under heavy pressure to resign, Krongard has not offered to step down and is, for the moment, continuing as the inspector general, McCormack told reporters. He did not, however, offer Krongard a ringing endorsement.

“He is still doing his work as inspector general,” McCormack said. “Obviously, if there weren’t support for his doing his job as inspector general, then he wouldn’t be doing that job.”