MOSCOW, AUGUST 22 (RIA Novosti) – The White House’s release of five detainees from Guantanamo Bay prison in exchange for Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl violated two laws, according to a finding issued Thursday by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
“We conclude that DOD [Department of Defense] violated section 8111 [of the 2014 DOD Appropriations Act] because it did not notify the relevant congressional committees at least 30 days in advance of the transfer. In addition, because DOD used appropriated funds to carry out the transfer when no money was available for that purpose, DOD violated the Antideficiency Act,” as stated in the opinion signed by General Counsel, Susan Poling.
Republican leaders in the Senate and members of the Senate Appropriations Committee requested the GAO opinion on June 14. Some members of Congress charged that the Obama administration had violated the law in the May exchange of Bowe Bergdahl, a US Army sergeant was captured in 2009 by the Taliban, for five GITMO detainees without consulting Congress.
The GAO found that the DOD had exceeded available appropriations for the operations in excess of $988,400. The ruling did not take into account the validity of Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel’s decision to make the transfer. Both the Department of Defense and Senate Appropriations Committee were unavailable for immediate response to the finding.
