Tornado Alley (PROG)

[arizona1]

IT WAS THE OMB DIRECTOR, MISAPPROPRIATING FUNDS, IN THE NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR'S OFFICE

Finally, Hill puts Mick Mulvaney at the scene of the crime.

As I’ve said before, one part of this scandal that has gotten far too little attention is that, to extort Ukraine, Trump withheld funds appropriated by Congress, funds about which there was bipartisan agreement.

Last week, CNN and WSJ reported that to do this, OMB changed the way the funds were distributed, putting a political flunkie in charge, also a detail that has gotten far too little attention.

Not only does that raise the Constitutional stakes of the Executive’s refusal to spend the funds Congress had duly appropriated, but it shows consciousness of guilt.

And per Hill’s testimony Mick Mulvaney, serving in the dual role of OMB chief and Chief of Staff, knew that those funds were being withheld for a quid pro quo or (as John Bolton described it) a drug deal.

Senate Republicans might not ever convict Trump for demanding foreign countries invent propaganda on his political allies. They might feel differently once it becomes clear that the crime involves refusing to do what Congress, with its power of the purse, told him to, without even telling Congress he was doing so (or why). They may not care about Trump pressing for any political advantage for their party, but they may care about Trump neutering their most important authority.
https://www.emptywheel.net/2019/10/15/the-significance-of-fiona-hills-testimony-whatever-drug-deal-sondland-and-mulvaney-are-cooking-up/

Now OMB says it does not plan to turn over the documents that impeachment committees subpoenaed. The deadline was today.

Note, these documents will show that the White House decided to ignore the will of Congress to carry out his extortion.
https://www.emptywheel.net/2019/10/04/trump-specifically-ensured-republicans-wouldnt-know-about-his-extortion/