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GAO finds Trump administration broke law by withholding aid from Ukraine
The Hill ^ | 01/16/20 10:06 AM EST | BY REBECCA KLAR

Posted on 01/16/2020 7:57:13 AM PST by Swordmaker

The Trump administration violated the law by withholding appropriated security assistance to Ukraine, the Government Accountability Office said Thursday in a report.

The independent watchdog said the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) withheld the appropriated funds last summer.

The report said U.S. law “does not permit the president to substitute his own policy priorities for those that Congress has enacted into law.”

“Therefore, we conclude that OMB violated the [Impound Control Act],” GAO said.

The withholding of the aid is central to the ongoing impeachment proceedings against President Trump.

--This breaking news report will be updated.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bs; gao; impeachment; presidenttrump; trumpukraine; ukraine
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To: I want the USA back
"Why was this released at this exact moment?"

Politics, of course. I have no doubt this was coordinated with the Democrats. The Reps should subpoena all of the communications (meetings, emails, phone calls) between this GAO lawyer and anyone outside his office.
101 posted on 01/16/2020 9:08:10 AM PST by Steve_Seattle
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To: GulfMan

Zot needed.


102 posted on 01/16/2020 9:11:59 AM PST by cowboyusa (America Cowboy Up)
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To: Bishop_Malachi

In a similar vein, I wonder how a court is empowered to substitute it’s policy for statutory law . . . deportations of dreamers


103 posted on 01/16/2020 9:14:03 AM PST by Sgt_Schultze (When your business model depends on slave labor, you're always going to need more slaves)
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To: rdcbn
There is obvious corruption in Ukraine and Democrats and some Republicans were taking part in the corruption via massive kick backs on misappropriated US foreign aid to Ukraine.

Long before President Trump ordered a halt to security assistance, the Secretary of Defense—in coordination with Secretary Pompeo—twice certified that Ukraine had made sufficient reforms to decrease corruption and increase accountability, and that the country could ensure accountability for U.S. provided military equipment.

104 posted on 01/16/2020 9:15:29 AM PST by semimojo
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To: italianquaker
Most reasonable Americans agree with President Trump and have tuned out this nonsense<

Arguably, such tuning-out is helpful to a coup based on a perverted reading of the Constitution.

This is fake news published by the left-DS to persuade/confuse the rest of America that 1) there is indeed one or more crimes and 2) to provide cover for Rino Senators.

IMO, it is highly probable Pelosi will file additional Articles during the course of the "trial".

105 posted on 01/16/2020 9:17:05 AM PST by frog in a pot ( "It's not enough to hold winning cards, ya gotta' know how to bet 'em.")
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To: babble-on

False statement.

Maybe you should try actually learning something, for example reading the US House testimony and not just re-typing your fraudulent Democrat Fascists Party talking points.


106 posted on 01/16/2020 9:17:19 AM PST by MNJohnnie (They would have abandon leftism to achieve sanity. Freeper Olog-hai)
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To: Liz

Liz let’s not forget about Nancy touting Barr being Trumps puppet YET Holder was the absolute PERFECT AG!!! I can’t tell you the absolute RAGE I feel right now these BASTARDS have to be removed from office the house MUST BE RETURNED to our side!!! The RNC needs to make sure above ALL ELSE the house is back in our hands!!!


107 posted on 01/16/2020 9:19:14 AM PST by Trump Girl Kit Cat (Yosemite Sam raising hell)
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To: Swordmaker

This is all starting to fall apart on Twitter. These funds were delivered by the deadline. This is looking more and more like a kamikaze attack by the Democrats. When you have to turn to suicide, you have lost the fight.


108 posted on 01/16/2020 9:20:44 AM PST by DarthVader (Not by speeches & majority decisions will the great issues of the daitbe decided but by Blood & Iron)
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To: Trump Girl Kit Cat

A-m-e-n........could not agree more....throw the SOB’s out.


109 posted on 01/16/2020 9:21:57 AM PST by Liz ( Our side has 8 trillion bullets; the other side doesn't know which bathroom to use.)
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Seems some at the GAO have been conspiring with the Rats to unjustly oust POTUS


110 posted on 01/16/2020 9:22:42 AM PST by Gene Eric (Don't be a statist!)
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To: Gene Eric

There is a digital trail of who this is....and wire transfers...text messages.

NSA has it all.

Someone else likely does, too.


111 posted on 01/16/2020 9:24:00 AM PST by combat_boots (God bless Israel and all who protect and defend her! Merry Christmas! In God We Trust! Hi)
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To: Bishop_Malachi

“Does this include enforcing Marijuana laws? Because neither Obummer nor Trump are enforce those laws which are still on the books.”

Apparently, it does not include immigration laws.


112 posted on 01/16/2020 9:36:57 AM PST by The Antiyuppie (“When small men cast long shadows, then it is very late in the day”)
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To: combat_boots

Heads should roll


113 posted on 01/16/2020 9:37:36 AM PST by Gene Eric (Don't be a statist!)
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To: Gene Eric

True but it looks like they are getting outed on Twitter as we speak.


114 posted on 01/16/2020 9:39:34 AM PST by DarthVader (Not by speeches & majority decisions will the great issues of the daitbe decided but by Blood & Iron)
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To: combat_boots

+1000!


115 posted on 01/16/2020 9:40:21 AM PST by DarthVader (Not by speeches & majority decisions will the great issues of the daitbe decided but by Blood & Iron)
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To: Swordmaker; All
"GAO finds Trump administration broke law by withholding aid [emphasis added] from Ukraine"
FR: Never Accept the Premise of Your Opponent’s Argument

Patriots are reminded that the first thing that they need to do with respect to questioning any action of the federal government is to find a clause in Congress’s constitutional Article I, Section 8-limited powers that reasonably justifies the action.

In this example, since the referenced article calls the funding in question “aid,” not only are there no clauses in Section 8 that reasonably justify foreign aid imo, but Justice Joseph Story had clarified that Congress cannot use the General Welfare Clause (1.8.1) as an excuse to justify foreign aid.

If the tax be not proposed for the common defence, or general welfare, but for other objects, wholly extraneous, (as for instance, for propagating Mahometanism among the Turks, or giving aids and subsidies to a foreign nation, to build palaces for its kings, or erect monuments to its heroes,) it would be wholly indefensible upon constitutional principles [emphases added].” —Justice Joseph Story, Commentaries on the Constitution 2

The bottom line is that all federal watchdogs need to be required to publicly and promptly report when the post-17th Amendment ratification Congress cannot justify a specific example of federal spending under its Section 8-limited powers.

Elections have consequences.

Remember in November!

MAGA! Now KAGA! (Keep America Great Always!)


116 posted on 01/16/2020 9:40:40 AM PST by Amendment10
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To: dfwgator

Exactly there will be no mention an Obongo appointment made this brazen move 5 days before the trial begins. Not FNC not anyone you can bet Schiff knew because he had has talking points ready and there he was. Another step in the coup.


117 posted on 01/16/2020 9:41:56 AM PST by gibsonguy
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To: semimojo
The certifications by Pompeo demonstrate the need for periodic review of Ukraine for corruption

An entire new Ukraine Government had just been elected so a re evaluation of Ukraine compliance on corruption for new government was justified.

FWIW, Ukraine corruption was a major issue in the election. The Ukraine people seemingly disagreed with Pompeo and ousted the old guard primarily for rampant corruption .

Trump was doing due diligence to see if the new crowd was really going to follow through as reformers

118 posted on 01/16/2020 9:42:41 AM PST by rdcbn ( Referentiai)
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To: lodi90
I believe the GOP Congress appropriated military aid to Ukraine. Obama didn’t give it to them. Might have my facts slightly off but when that war was hot Obama gave them NOTHING. Blankets, disabled anti-mortar radar, etc.

It was passed as part of the 2019 budget on September 15, 2018, with some additions for the Ukraine Nave to repair some of the ships on December 5, 2018, by a Republican Congress. That’s really what is so hilarious about this. Many of these Democrats would never have voted for this, having not wanted a budget at all, but continuing spending resolutions.

Budgetary items are for the entire fiscal year and have no specific time to be expended. There were conditions Congress placed on the Ukraine aid package, among which was that the President had to assure that steps were taken to assure that something was being done about the rampant corruption that was endemic in Ukraine, and particularly in their military procurement procedures. Under the Constitution, that lays on the President to do. . . Not anyone else. He can ask others to do the checking and advise him, again, per the Constitution, but he has to make the final call about whether or not “something” is enough to release those funds.

From October 1, 2018 to the end of May 2019, the Pentagon did its investigation about the Ukraine military’s procurement corruption and finally signed off. 210 or so days delayed. The OMB started to prepare paperwork, but on July 3rd, President Trump put a hold on it, due to not seeing any movement from President Zelensky in changing any people in high positions in the central Ukraine government. The same corrupt people were still in the same positions, even though he had been elected in April. Zelensky was waiting for the mid-July parliamentary elections, when his party would win an overwhelming majority. The July 25th phone call was right after that election. When Zelensky got that majority, he started replacing all those corrupt people. When Trump got several reports from Pence, Senator Johnson, etc., that Zelensky was the real corruption fighter he claimed he was, he lifted the hold on the aid.

The war is currently stable with no movement for almost a year. . . Both glaring at each other over established lines.

119 posted on 01/16/2020 9:43:08 AM PST by Swordmaker (My pistol self-identifies as an iPad, so you must accept it in gun-free zones, you hoplophobe bigot!)
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To: Swordmaker; Liz; bitt; little jeremiah; a little elbow grease

he law applies to rescission, not holding, which is in fact permitted. The Government Accountability Office is misreading the actual law which states that the President may temporarily withhold funds from obligation-but not beyond the end of the fiscal year. It is obvious to all who can read and comprehend that the funds for Ukraine were not held beyond the end of the fiscal year. Oops. The Democrats in the GAO, an arm of the Democrat controlled House of Representatives, staffed almost, if not exclusively by Democrats, is obfuscating what the law allows.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

so what are the chances that another C_A clown planted in the GAO by Jihadi John came up with this opinion??


120 posted on 01/16/2020 9:43:30 AM PST by thinden
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