(Thread) Over the Cliff Notes for Mark Sandy's deposition
(Deputy Associate Director for National Security Programs at the OMB since 2013)
intelligence.house.gov/uploadedfiles/…
Spoiler: First Trump broke the law. When he was about to get caught, he looked for an excuse for having done it.
(Deputy Associate Director for National Security Programs at the OMB since 2013)
intelligence.house.gov/uploadedfiles/…
Spoiler: First Trump broke the law. When he was about to get caught, he looked for an excuse for having done it.
1/ June 19: Trump saw a media report and asked for a description of the security aid program.
The OMB prepared a description for him, and sent it the next day.
Sandy then went on leave.
He returned July 18 to learn that the president placed a hold on the security aid.
The OMB prepared a description for him, and sent it the next day.
Sandy then went on leave.
He returned July 18 to learn that the president placed a hold on the security aid.
2/ Sandy asked for more explanation about the hold. His supervisor (Trump’s appointee, Duffy) didn’t know why the aid was held.
Sandy was responsible for preparing the legally binding document holding the funds.
He explained to Duffy that legal questions needed to be addressed.
Sandy was responsible for preparing the legally binding document holding the funds.
He explained to Duffy that legal questions needed to be addressed.
3/ Sandy alerted the OMB’s general counsel’s office because of potential violation of the Impound Control Act.
[Narrator: We can learn about the Impound Control Act here⤵️
budget.house.gov/publications/r…
Clearly Trump's hold violated this law.]
[Narrator: We can learn about the Impound Control Act here⤵️
budget.house.gov/publications/r…
Clearly Trump's hold violated this law.]
4/ [Narrator: Trump said once that “our laws are all stupid and corrupt.” I’ve argued that Trump and his pals hate regulations and regulatory agencies (the "Deep State") because they stand in the way of them doing whatever they please
For more, see: ]
For more, see: ]
5/ For months Sandy and his colleagues tried to learn the reason for the hold.
He cannot recall another time a significant amount of funding was held up without rationale.
Two colleagues, including someone in the OMB general counsel’s office resigned. . .
He cannot recall another time a significant amount of funding was held up without rationale.
Two colleagues, including someone in the OMB general counsel’s office resigned. . .
6/ Both people resigned at least in part because of concerns that the hold violated the Impound Act.
Sandy helped prepare a memo arguing for the release of the funds because the security aid was consistent with US national security interests.
Sandy helped prepare a memo arguing for the release of the funds because the security aid was consistent with US national security interests.
7/ [Narrator: We know from reporting that Trump learned about the whistleblower complaint in late August. nytimes.com/2019/11/26/us/… ]
In early September, Sandy received requests from the White House for information about what other countries had contributed to Ukraine’s security.
In early September, Sandy received requests from the White House for information about what other countries had contributed to Ukraine’s security.
8/ A member of Sandy's staff responded to the request (multiple other countries are providing various types of assistance to Ukraine).
After the lifting of the hold on September 12, the DOD was unable to fully obligate USAI funds before the end of the fiscal year.
After the lifting of the hold on September 12, the DOD was unable to fully obligate USAI funds before the end of the fiscal year.
9/ About 35 million remained unpaid. (Congress had to pass legislation to allow the remainder to be paid)
One of the GOP defenses is that Trump withheld the security aid because he wanted to make sure other countries were also providing aid to Ukraine.
One of the GOP defenses is that Trump withheld the security aid because he wanted to make sure other countries were also providing aid to Ukraine.
10/ This timeline obliterates that defense.
Another GOP defense is that nobody ever heard Trump specifically say that withholding security aid was linked to any attempt to pressure Ukraine into opening the investigation into Burisma /Biden.
Another GOP defense is that nobody ever heard Trump specifically say that withholding security aid was linked to any attempt to pressure Ukraine into opening the investigation into Burisma /Biden.
11/ We don’t need signed confessions to infer, from circumstantial evidence, exactly what happened.
For more on how that works, see my latest NBC Opinion piece:
nbcnews.com/think/opinion/…
For more on how that works, see my latest NBC Opinion piece:
nbcnews.com/think/opinion/…
12/ When Trump supporters pretend they don’t know about circumstantial evidence, they’re playing dumb. Anyone who reads detective novels knows about circumstantial evidence.
One thing that went wrong for Trump is that Operation Ukraine Shakedown required lots of career. . .
One thing that went wrong for Trump is that Operation Ukraine Shakedown required lots of career. . .
13/ . . . employees getting whiff of what was happening.
While lots of them were bullied into silence, others are willing to speak.
It also seems that Trump is getting bad legal advice.
His lawyers talk about made-up doctrines like "absolute immunity"
While lots of them were bullied into silence, others are willing to speak.
It also seems that Trump is getting bad legal advice.
His lawyers talk about made-up doctrines like "absolute immunity"
14/ They also argue that the president, as head of the executive branch, can run the branch anyway he wants.
So Trump does whatever he wants.
In this case, he violated the Impound Control Act as part of his attempt to pressure Ukraine into announcing an investigation of Biden.
So Trump does whatever he wants.
In this case, he violated the Impound Control Act as part of his attempt to pressure Ukraine into announcing an investigation of Biden.
15/ That Trump broke laws as part of Operation Ukrainian Shakedown will strengthen the Articles of Impeachment.
Senators who acquit have to say, "Yes! The president can break any law he pleases while leveraging government to benefit himself."
It sort of puts them on the spot.
Senators who acquit have to say, "Yes! The president can break any law he pleases while leveraging government to benefit himself."
It sort of puts them on the spot.
16/If the president can disregard laws passed by Congress based on a whim—even if the whim is arguably valid grounds for concern—we create what the drafters of the Constitution called a tyrant: A leader above the law.
They specifically guarded against that.
This should be easy.
They specifically guarded against that.
This should be easy.
I certainly don't mean to put all the blame on the lawyers. But I think that the stupid legal theories feed Trump's sense that he can do whatever he wants.
This time, though, he overreached.
This time, though, he overreached.
Precisely.
And Trump didn't provide a justification, or apparently even try to find one, until after he learned about the Whistleblower's report.
It's elementary, my dear Watson🕵️♂️
And Trump didn't provide a justification, or apparently even try to find one, until after he learned about the Whistleblower's report.
It's elementary, my dear Watson🕵️♂️
My threads are also blog posts. This one is here: terikanefield-blog.com/mark-sandys-de…
