Two White House budget officials resigned in the wake of President Trump’s decision to freeze U.S. military assistance to Ukraine, a top budget official testified.
Mark Sandy said in a closed-door deposition to House impeachment investigators that at least two Office of Management and Budget officials resigned in part over their concerns about the halt in aid. Sandy said one of the officials resigned in September after voicing concerns about the holdup.
“As I recall, he expressed some frustrations about not understanding the reason for the hold,” Sandy said, according to a transcript of his testimony, which was released on Tuesday.
He said the other official, a lawyer, stepped down over concerns that the halt was violating the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, which puts limits on the executive branch’s authority to impound congressionally appropriated funds.
Sandy did not name either of the officials who resigned and noted that he did not know whether other factors played into their decisions to resign.
House Democrats have sought to determine whether Trump conditioned nearly $400 million in U.S. military aid to Ukraine on the country launching an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. Biden, who is running for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, could face Trump in the general election.
The hold was released in September after a whistleblower filed a complaint about Trump’s conduct toward Ukraine. Trump had been briefed on the complaint when he unfroze the aid, according to the New York Times.
