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.
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The former CEO of CKE Restaurants and a Republican once tapped to be President Donald Trump's Labor Secretary, told Cheddar Monday that a Sanders nomination would be a win for Republicans.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average sank more than 1,000 points as the spread of the new coronavirus threatened wider damage to the global economy. The drop was the worst for the index in two years and wiped out its gains so far in 2020.
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Bernie Sanders scored a resounding victory in Nevada’s presidential caucuses on Saturday, cementing his status as the Democrats' national front-runner amid escalating tensions over whether he’s too liberal to defeat President Donald Trump.
Huawei's U.S. Chief Security Officer Andy Purdy pushed back against accusations by the DOJ against the Chinese company while it does business with other nations such as the UK.
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Stocks fell in midday trading as investors fretted about more signs that a viral outbreak was spreading and a report showing a sharp weakening in U.S. business activity. Investors headed for safer territory.
U.S. stocks fell in early trading Friday as cases of the new virus swelled in South Korea and more companies warned investors about a hit to their finances. Anxiety over the outbreak has knocked stocks back from record highs and indexes are on track for their first weekly loss after two weeks of gains.
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