WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government's watchdog agency said Thursday a White House office violated federal law in withholding security assistance to Ukraine.
The Government Accountability Office said in a report that the Office of Management and Budget violated the law in holding up the aid. The freeze is at the center of the impeachment of President Donald Trump.
The independent agency, which reports to Congress, said OMB violated the Impoundment Control Act in delaying the security assistance Congress authorized for Ukraine for “policy reasons,” rather than technical budgetary needs.
“Faithful execution of the law does not permit the President to substitute his own policy priorities for those that Congress has enacted into law,” wrote the agency's general counsel, Thomas Armstrong, in the report.
OMB has argued the hold was appropriate and necessary.
“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," said OMB spokeswoman Rachel Semmel.
Trump was impeached last month on charges of abusing his power for pressuring Ukraine to investigate Democratic rivals, as he was withholding the aid, and for obstructing Congress' ensuing probe. The Senate is set to begin its trial on Thursday.
U.S. weekly jobless claims rose to 362,000 for the week ending September 25th, higher than the 335,000 economists had expected. This figure is also slightly higher than the 351,000 reported a week earlier. Louis Cordone, Senior Vice President of Data Strategy at AST joined Wake Up with Cheddar to discuss.
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been found guilty of illegal campaign financing linked to his 2012 bid for reelection after $54 million was spent on fake invoices. Sarkozy was sentenced to one year in prison.
The Senate passed a stopgap funding bill that will finance the government through December 3. The bill now moves onto the House where it is expected to pass as well.
On Monday, the FBI unveiled a report showing a 30 percent increase in homicides in 2020. Cheddar's Chloe Aiello looks into the bureau's numbers that show a steep increase in gun violence amid the growing pandemic.
