The labor union representing U.S. diplomats called Wednesday for the State Department's top auditor to step down pending the results of a congressional investigation into whether he blocked fraud probes in Afghanistan and Iraq for political reasons. At the same time, the State Department defended the accused official, Inspector General Howard J. Krongard, saying it had no evidence that would back up the allegations. But the union, the American Foreign Service Association, said Krongard should 'surrender day-to-day control' of his office until the 'grave allegations of malfeasance,' including charges he ignored security lapses at the new U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, are resolved.
See Associated Press, The New York Times, September 18, 2007