A U.S. District Judge for Washington, D.C., issued a Preliminary Injunction Ordering the Pentagon and White House Budget Office to Comply with a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request for Records relating to the Trump Administration’s Freeze on Ukraine Aid, which is at the Center of the House’s impeachment Investigation into the President.
The Judge Ordered the Agencies to Release Half of the 211 Pages of Documents by Dec. 12th and the Rest by Dec. 20th.
The Records include Communications between the Defense Department (DOD), the DOD's Comptroller, and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regarding the Pentagon’s Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI).
The Request for the Records came from the Center for Public Integrity.
Trump Froze $391 Million of the $400 Million of Congressionally Approved Military Aid over the Summer and Lifted the Freeze only after a Whistleblower from the Intelligence Community filed a Complaint that Sparked the Impeachment Inquiry and the Funds was nearing the End of the Budget period and the Funds would have to be Reapproved by the Congress.
The Anonymous Whistleblower, as well as several Witnesses who have Testified Publicly and Privately to Congress, have Alleged that Trump Withheld the Aid in order to Pressure Ukraine President to Announce an Investigate a Democratic Political Rival, Former Vice President Joe Biden, and Biden’s Son Hunter.
“Currently, the United States House of Representatives is in the process of conducting impeachment proceedings concerning the same subject matter as the documents requested by Plaintiff,” Judge Kollar-Kotelly wrote in her Order. “As such, the requested documents are sought in order to inform the public on a matter of extreme national concern. Only an informed electorate can develop its opinions and persuasively petition its elected officials to act in ways which further the aims of those opinions.”
The House Subpoenaed Documents in October from the Pentagon and the OMB in the Impeachment Investigation, though the Agency Heads joined the rest of Trump’s Allies in Refusing to Comply with the Orders.
Currently, $35 Million in Congressionally Approved Aid to Ukraine has still Not been Delivered. The Money was Reportedly Earmarked for Grenade Launchers, Secure Communications, and Naval Combat Craft, but it has Not Left the U.S. Treasury.
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