Last updated on July 18th, 2023 at 11:53 am
Trump’s problems could be bigger than impeachment as the Government Accountability Office is investigating the president for violating the law by withholding Ukraine aid.
The Wall Street Journal reported:
The Government Accountability Office is reviewing the Trump administration’s hold on nearly $400 million in security assistance to Ukraine after a Democratic senator asked if the freeze violated appropriations law.
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
….
The president has the ability to hold up money approved by Congress under limited circumstances, according to the Congressional Research Service. But without any policy reason for the hold, some career budget staffers questioned whether the Office of Management and Budget had the authority to indefinitely hold up the money.
The Pentagon also conducted a legal review of the administration’s hold on the money, concluding that funds approved by Congress needed to be released. Pentagon officials expressed concern to officials at the National Security Council that the money could expire at the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30 if the hold was not lifted, according to people familiar with the matter.
It wasn’t just Congress that was demanding that Trump release the aid to Ukraine. The Pentagon also told Trump that he had to release the funds. The question that the non-partisan GAO is investigating concerns whether or not Trump violated the law by not releasing the funds. It is clear from the testimony of impeachment witnesses that they knew why the funds weren’t released: Trump was demanding an investigation into the Bidens in exchange for the funds.
The president has very limited authority to withhold congressionally appropriated funds. A president who goes outside of his authority to withhold funds is breaking the law.
Republicans are arguing about the process, and quid pro quos, but the heart of the matter is presidential abuse of power, and if Trump abused his power to try to force a foreign country to investigate Joe Biden.
A president abused his power, and we will find out if he also broke the law.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
Follow Jason Easley on Facebook
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
Trump and his lawyers are now trying to get the judge to block ex-White House…
Donald Trump spoke to the media on Friday morning without awareness of what he was…
The Biden administration went beyond rolling back Trump's weakening of Title IX sex discrimination protections…
A senior official at Turning Point Action has resigned after allegedly committing election fraud by…
Trump thought that he would never stand trial and now that reality is setting in,…
The jury has been sworn in at Trump's hush money trial, as arguments could begin…
This website uses cookies.