Trump administration violated law in withholding Ukraine aid: watchdog

The Trump administration violated the law by withholding congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine last summer "for a policy reason," the Government Accountability Office (GAO), a top government watchdog, said Thursday.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) withheld some 214 million U.S. dollars in funds appropriated by Congress to the Defense Department for security assistance to Ukraine "for a policy reason, which is not permitted under the Impoundment Control Act," said the report.

"The withholding was not a programmatic delay. Therefore, we conclude that OMB violated the ICA," the watchdog concluded.

The report came one day after the Democrat-run House of Representatives sent impeachment articles to the Senate for a long-awaited trial, accusing President Donald Trump of abusing power and obstruction of Congress, charges related to the withholding of that aid to Ukraine.

(CGTN)