A U.S. State Department inspector-general Wednesday recused himself from any investigations related to Blackwater, after admitting that his brother serves as an adviser to the company, media reported.
Testifying before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Howard Krongard first denied the "ugly rumors" that his brother "Buzzy" is linked to Blackwater -- a security contractor that is the subject of several federal investigations related to its work in Iraq.
But after he returned after a recess, Krongard said he had called his brother "Buzzy," who confirmed the appointment to a Blackwater advisory board.
"I had not been aware of that. And I want to state on the record right now that I hereby recuse myself from any matters having to do with Blackwater," Krongard, who acts as an independent internal investigator for the State Department, told the panel.
"This change in testimony is troubling," said Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass.
The House oversight hearing was called to investigate charges that Krongard has impeded State Department investigations that might hurt the Bush administration's image.
Current and former officials in Krongard's office accused Krongard of thwarting probes into waste, fraud and abuse in Iraq, including alleged arms smuggling by Blackwater.
In September, the private security contractor denied it was involved in illegally shipping automatic weapons and military goods to Iraq.
It is also under scrutiny over the death of 17 Iraqi civilians in a September shooting incident.
Source: Xinhua/agencies
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