RealClearPolitics reports that the House Oversight Committee sent a letter to President Obama requesting that all documents and communications “regarding any economic aid programs for Ukraine” be turned over to him. Also, he requested that any material “regarding anti-corruption efforts in relation to both financial or military aid” be given to him.
The $113 billion Congress approved for Ukraine by Democrats failed to be supervised by Congress. This seems criminally negligent considering that Ukraine is among the most corrupt countries in Europe.
Rep. James Comer (R. Ky.) stated that providing security and humanitarian aid for warfighting or reconstruction purposes comes with inherent risks of fraud, waste, and abuse. To reduce the risk of spending money “quickly”, the committee insists that the U.S. create “oversight mechanisms.”
Example: Recent revelations regarding unemployment fraud are shocking. The Government Accountability Office says that at least 20% of $191 billion in claims was improperly paid. This is because people were in a hurry to get the money.
Yet, the Democrats refused to hold hearings on this issue.
The House Republicans are extending their reach. The committee is seeking a complete account of all “strategies to end-use monitor of weapons, equipment, and direct budgeting aid, as well as any materials that could be used to determine how much federal money was spent so far, and how much remains in the spending funnel.”
Comer also wants to know more about the administration’s material related to aid programs and “any benchmarks of success”, as well as any conditions that were imposed on funds given as assistance to Ukraine.
Last month Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, traveled to Ukraine to convey the message: Any misappropriation would make it more difficult to provide further assistance. King stated, “I said that a scandal would really mess this up.”
They might have already screwed the pooch.
This message was very well received. King said that he received it “immediately.” However, verbal assurances do not suffice to quell Republican concerns. According to the Joint Strategic Oversight Plan for Ukraine response report, the administration has failed to accurately account for the billions spent. For example, the Pentagon Inspector General warned that the department was not able to monitor end-use in accordance with DoD policy.
Comer wants specific answers to one of his questions: To ensure that weapons and ammunition are being used as intended, the policy requires tracking serial numbers. USA Today and other publications have previously reported this.
People who question the amount of aid being sent to Ukraine and its purpose are called “Putin Stooges.” Another hundred billion is still disappearing down a black hole, possibly into the pockets of Zelenskyy cronies and Ukrainian oligarchs.
