◼ The U.S. Government Accountability Office has found that the Department of Defense violated the law when it carried out the Obama Administration’s arranged swap of five Taliban detainees at Guantanamo Bay for the freedom of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. - Personal Liberty
In a ruling released today, GAO General Counsel Susan A. Poling confirmed that the DoD unlawfully spent nearly $1 million in funds to make the swap, because the appropriations measure that funds the department specifically requires at least 30 days’ notice to relevant Congressional committees before appropriated money can be used to transfer Guantanamo prisoners....
Not only did that move violate the DoD Appropriations Act of 2014; it also violated the Antideficiency Act, a law that (perhaps redundantly) states that it’s illegal to spend money that isn’t (legally) there. “We have consistently concluded that the use of appropriated funds for prohibited purposes violates the Antideficiency Act, because zero funds are available for the purpose,” the GAO explains in a footnote.
◼ Fed Govt. Watchdog GAO Says Bergdahl Swap Broke Federal Law; Networks Ignore - Newsbusters
