After fundraising for Obama during the 2008 campaign, Cynthia Stroum was appointed ambassador to Luxembourg. On January 31, though, Stroum resigned from her position, citing family and business as her reasons for resigning. A recently released report from the State Department tells another story.
The report, completed in January and based on inspections of the embassy, finds that:
The report also questions Stroum’s use of funds, including a $2,400 trip to Switzerland and a last minute “scramble” to purchase $3,400 in bulk wine and liquor. Stroum insisted that king-sized bed provided for the ambassador be replaced with a queen-sized bed.
The report makes the consequences of her mismanagement clear:
Stroum, though, defended her performance, claiming that her major contribution was in the area of public diplomacy, specifically, “representation opportunities” and “diplomatic community events.” She even filed a rebuttal to the State Department’s report.
Most of the embassy’s senior staff in Luxembourg has departed, some even preferring to volunteer for service in Kabul and Baghdad.
Matt Katzenberger is an intern at THE WEEKLY STANDARD.
