by David Phinney

Oct. 23, 2007 — (Sorry about the previous typos, guys. I am in the market for a new blog program.) The $592-million Baghdad embassy contract, the $1.2-billion police training program in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the security contract for Blackwater are all under intense scrutiny — and so is the State Department Inspector General who is responsible for investigating these contracts after receiving credible complaints: Oversight body looks into complaints against State IG.

Circle the Wagons: GovExec reports that Krongard hired Barbara van Gelder for legal counsel. Van Gelder, acclaimed as a criminal defense attorney specializing in government contract fraud, claims that allegations about Krongard having blocked his staff from investigations are based on “imperfect recollections.” Van Gelder recently defended the former White House contracting policy chief, David Safavian, who was found guilty in June 2006 of lying and obstructing justice as part of the Abramoff scandal.

P.S. Krongard resigned on January 15, 2008 “after being accused of averting probes into contracting fraud in Iraq and a possible conflict of interest regarding investigations.”