The Office of Management in a report released this week says that:
“In the summer of 2019, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) withheld from obligation funds appropriated to the Department of Defense (DOD) for security assistance to Ukraine. In order to withhold the funds, OMB issued a series of nine apportionment schedules with footnotes that made all unobligated balances unavailable for obligation.
“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.”
U.S. House of Representative Democrats allege – and have impeached President Trump – in connection to the withholding of these vital military aid funds to Ukraine, a former Soviet republic that needs the money to fight Russian aggression and expansion. Democrats allege that Trump used the military aid withholding as part of a scheme to force the Ukraine government to only announce an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden, a leading contender for the Democratic nomination for President. Dem’s say Trump didn’t care whether possible corruption was actually investigated; he merely wanted the announcement of an investigation to make Biden look bad and aid his 2020 re-election campaign.
The U.S. Senate has been delivered the Articles of Impeachment, where the matter will be tried. There was no word on any possible outcome from the OMB announcement that Trump broke a law.
In a twist of irony, the Interior Ministry of Ukraine announced this week a criminal investigation into possible surveillance of a former US Ambassador, Marie Yovanovitch. It is claimed people linked to President Trump had her followed and spied upon.
