House Impeachment Inquiry to Hear Testimony From White House Budget Staffer
November 16 2019 - 6:29AM
Dow Jones News
By Andrew Duehren
WASHINGTON -- House impeachment investigators are set to hear
from a top career White House budget staffer behind closed doors on
Saturday as the probe examines why nearly $400 million in aid to
Ukraine this summer was held up.
Mark Sandy, deputy associate director for national-security
programs at the Office of Management and Budget, signed paperwork
initially holding up the aid on July 25, according to previous
testimony to impeachment investigators. He didn't appear for a
deposition initially scheduled for last week. Barbara Van Gelder, a
lawyer representing Mr. Sandy, said he would appear on Saturday if
he was subpoenaed.
Before he signed off on the hold, Mr. Sandy sought an opinion
from OMB lawyers about the legality of the move, according to
people familiar with the matter. After he received legal guidance
that the hold could go forward, Mr. Sandy signed the paperwork,
according to the people. Lawyers from OMB are often involved in
complicated budgeting maneuvers.
The House impeachment inquiry, which began holding public
hearings Wednesday, is investigating whether or not the freeze on
the aid was conditioned on President Trump's request for Ukraine to
investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and 2016 election
interference. Mr. Trump has repeatedly denied that his request for
the investigations was related to the freeze on the funds.
A senior administration official played down the significance of
Mr. Sandy's appearance.
"Democrats are going to be sorely disappointed when their latest
false narrative isn't confirmed," the official said.
Mr. Sandy, the first official from OMB to appear before
impeachment investigators, may reveal more details about how the
aid was held up and why it was ordered. Several political officials
from OMB, including acting director Russ Vought, have defied
subpoenas to appear. The White House has sought to prevent
administration officials from cooperating with the
investigation.
The order to hold the funds caught national-security officials
at several agencies off guard when it was first announced at a July
18 meeting. Several officials have testified that the legality of
the hold was discussed repeatedly at a series of meetings in
July.
The Government Accountability Office, Congress's nonpartisan
watchdog, is reviewing whether the hold followed legal procedures
for freezing the money. The administration ultimately released the
funds on Sept. 11 amid bipartisan pressure on Capitol Hill.
Michael Duffey, the associate director for national-security
programs at OMB, began carrying out the hold on the money in August
after officials began raising concerns about the legality of the
hold, according to people familiar with the matter and transcripts
of impeachment depositions.
Mr. Duffey, a political appointee and former executive director
of the Wisconsin Republican Party who began at OMB in May, began
signing the paperwork because he wanted more insight into OMB's
role, according to people familiar with his change. He also began
directly overseeing holding and releasing other foreign aid and
defense funds.
Mr. Duffey, also a former Pentagon official, didn't comply with
a congressional subpoena for his testimony this month.
Several former OMB officials have said that a political
appointee signing the paperwork for releasing funds is unusual and
breaks from precedent at the organization.
Write to Andrew Duehren at andrew.duehren@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
November 16, 2019 06:14 ET (11:14 GMT)
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