US watchdog says White House violated law in freezing Ukraine aid, faithful execution doesn't permit president to substitute own policy priorities

The White House violated federal law in withholding Ukraine aid, an action at the centre of US president Donald Trump’s impeachment, a federal watchdog agency said Thursday Washington: The White House violated federal law in withholding security assistance to Ukraine, an action at the centre of US president Donald Trump’s impeachment, a federal watchdog agency said Thursday. The independent agency, which reports to Congress, said OMB violated the Impoundment Control Act in delaying the security assistance Congress authorised 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. “The OMB, the White House, the administration broke — I’m saying this — broke the law," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. “Congress makes funding decisions, and the Trump Administration’s illegal impoundment of these vital national security funds was a brazen assault on the checks and balances inherent to our democracy," said House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey, D-N.Y. “Given that this illegal conduct threatened our security and undermined our elections, I feel even more strongly that the House has chosen the right course by impeaching President Trump.