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A2 u.s. news
Friday 17 January 2020

Watchdog: White House violated

law in freezing Ukraine aid

such duly enacted law." agency's general counsel, that this illegal conduct
The aid in question was Thomas Armstrong, in the threatened our security
held up last summer on or- report. Capitol Hill Demo- and undermined our elec-
ders from Trump but was re- crats seized on the report tions, I feel even more
leased in September after as evidence of a lawless strongly that the House has
Congress pushed for its re- White House. led by act- chosen the right course
lease and a whistleblower's ing chief of staff Mick Mul- by impeaching President
complaint about Trump's vaney, who is a key figure Trump. No one is above the
July call with the Ukrainian in the impeachment inves- law."
In this Jan. 13, 2020. file photo, President Donald Trump, left, and leader became public. tigation of Trump. OMB has argued the hold
acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, right, walk The independent agency, "The OMB, the White House, was appropriate and nec-
along the colonnade of the White House in Washington. which reports to Congress, the administration broke — essary.
Associated Press said OMB violated the Im- I'm saying this — broke the "We disagree with GAO's
By ANDREW TAYLOR and Thursday. poundment Control Act by law," said House Speaker opinion. OMB uses its ap-
ZEKE MILLER The Government Account- delaying the security assis- Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. portionment authority to
Associated Press ability Office said in a re- tance for "policy reasons," Democrats want Mul- ensure taxpayer dollars are
WASHINGTON (AP) — The port that the Office of rather than technical bud- vaney, who is still officially properly spent consistent
White House violated fed- Management and Budget getary needs. the OMB director, to be with the President's priori-
eral law in withholding se- broke the law in holding "Faithful execution of the subpoenaed as a witness ties and with the law," said
curity assistance to Ukraine, up the aid, which Congress law does not permit the in Trump's impeachment tri- OMB spokeswoman Ra-
an action at the center of passed less than a year President to substitute his al. The Senate opened the chel Semmel.
President Donald Trump's ago, saying "the President own policy priorities for trial Thursday, with open- Trump was impeached last
impeachment, a federal is not vested with the pow- those that Congress has en- ing arguments set to begin month on charges of abus-
watchdog agency said er to ignore or amend any acted into law," wrote the next week. ing his power for pressur-
"Congress makes funding ing Ukraine to investigate
decisions, and the Trump Democratic rivals, as he
Administration's illegal im- was withholding the aid,
poundment of these vital and for obstructing Con-
national security funds was gress' ensuing probe. The
a brazen assault on the Senate will decide whether
checks and balances in- to convict him on either
herent to our democracy," charge, which would result
said House Appropriations in his removal from office. A
Committee Chairwoman two-thirds vote is required
Nita Lowey, D-N.Y. "Given for conviction. q