{"articles":[{"reaction_config":[{"icon":"happy","color":"#3AB093","stance":"happy"},{"icon":"apathetic","color":"#EDB723","stance":"apathetic"},{"icon":"sad","color":"#5ACDED","stance":"sad"}],"id":40930,"title":"Federal Watchdog Finds Trump Administration Violated Law by Withholding Ukraine Aid","html_content":"

by Axios | 1.16.20

The U.S. Government Accountability Office released Thursday a decision finding that the White House's Office of Management and Budget violated the law when it withheld military aid to Ukraine.

The state of play: The decision from the GAO, an independent government agency, comes just hours before the Senate will kick off President Trump's impeachment trial over his administration's actions on Ukraine.

The big picture: The GAO found that the OMB violated the 1974 Impoundment Control Act, which requires that the White House and its agencies disburse funds appropriated by Congress as directed by the legislative branch.

The GAO probe was initially requested last year by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).
He told Roll Call that while the abuse of power article of impeachment against Trump does not directly reference a violation of the ICA, it remains \"all part of the picture that's being painted.\"
Michael Duffey, a political appointee at OMB who ordered the hold on Ukraine aid 90 minutes after Trump's phone call with Ukraine's president, is among the witnesses Democrats want to call at the impeachment trial.

What it means: The only recourse the GAO has for a violation of the ICA is to sue the administration to release the funds, per Roll Call. In this case, the withheld aid was already released in September.

Van Hollen has proposed an amendment to the ICA that would require OMB to be more transparent in its decisions to withhold funds.

What they're saying:

\"Faithful execution of the law does not permit the president to substitute his own policy priorities for those that Congress has enacted into law. OMB withheld funds for a policy reason, which is not permitted under the Impoundment Control Act (ICA). The withholding was not a programmatic delay. Therefore, we conclude that OMB violated the ICA.\"

GAO report

The other side: Rachel Semmel, the OMB's communications director, said in a statement, \"We disagree with GAO's opinion. OMB uses its apportionment authority to ensure taxpayer dollars are properly spent consistent with the president's priorities and with the law.\"

Read the full decision.

Go deeper: House votes to send articles of impeachment to Senate

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Wounded veterans constitute a significant percentage of my students, as do minorities and international students. I suppose I had naively imagined that progress had been made on social issues during the 1970s, but everything negative seems to be hanging around, and the new administration in Washington worries and offends me. I feel compelled to voice my concerns because America cannot survive without reason, compassion, and an energetic sense of humor.","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"verymary","issue_count":13,"is_following":null,"influence_score":4720,"influence_level":30,"follower_count":178,"following_count":483,"position_count":161,"id":"jZB7LVzm","partner_id":null},{"name":"jimK","vote_count":571,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/9odrQBnb/large_9odrqbnb-1557000969.jpg","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/9odrQBnb/small_9odrqbnb-1557000969.jpg","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/9odrQBnb/tiny_9odrqbnb-1557000969.jpg"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/9odrQBnb/following","followers":"/api/users/9odrQBnb/followers"},"about_me":"Retired, Politically Independent. Won’t listen to slogans, chanted mantras or generally any kind of marketing spin or “rebranding” crap. I firmly believe that everyone else is entitled to their erroneous opinions. Citizen vigilance and due diligence is price we must pay to live in a thriving, functional democracy.\nI fear that our citizens are too easily swayed by politician’s pablum about “babies”, “jobs” and now, in particular, perceived “enemies”. I fear that a citizenry focused on the “here-and-now” is easily tricked by short term benefits that have negative long-term consequences. I fear that our legislators are more concerned about buffing their constituents than looking out for the long-term welfare of our country- and are way too eager to provide those short-term benefits to the “here-and-now” crowd.\nI fear that honor is generally being sacrificed/replaced by expediency. I hear politicians eloquently argue for one side of an issue and later, when it’s to their benefit, just as eloquently argue for the opposite side. OK, so they are good at arguing- but what is that they actually believe? What is it that they actually stand for? An honorable person has values that persist even when it is not convenient or expedient. An honorable person has a moral compass that stops them from doing something wrong even if it is not illegal. A foul is a foul- even if the referee doesn’t catch you.\nI fear that each of our federal governmental branches have devised or discovered shortcuts which tend to protect them from the checks and balances our founders intended.","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"jimk","issue_count":4,"is_following":null,"influence_score":48300,"influence_level":40,"follower_count":1635,"following_count":88,"position_count":569,"id":"9odrQBnb","partner_id":null}],"article_comment":{"flagged":false,"id":1166906,"body":"I wonder how many lives were lost due to the delay. This is a clear case of abuse of power. \nDonald Trump is not fit for the office of the president of the United States. 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