Sarah Scully/GovExec.com

Was a U.S. Ambassador Really Soliciting Prostitutes, and Who Covered It Up?

Inspector General memo says an investigation may have been called off to protect reputations

CBS News claims that several criminal investigations involving State Department employees, including at least one ambassador, were covered up or ignored in order to avoid embarrassing the diplomatic service. According to a memo written by the department's Inspector General's office, several members of the Diplomatic Security Service, which is in charge of protecting American diplomats overseas, were told to back off or stop investigating some of the cases, ensuring that no charges were ever brought.

Among the alleged crimes that were covered up: Reports of a "drug ring" near the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, claims about a State employee in Beirut sexually assaulting foreign nationals, and agents on security details (including some who were protecting former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton) soliciting prostitues while on official trips. It's also likely that foreign (and "hostile") intelligence agencies were aware of the behavior.

Read more at The Atlantic Wire