Tag: Mark Sandy

3 takeaways from Mark Sandy’s and Philip Reeker’s testimony on Ukraine

Washington Post logoImpeachment investigators released transcripts Tuesday from two depositions in their investigation: Philip Reeker, the acting assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, and Mark Sandy, the deputy associate director for national security programs at the Office of Management and Budget

Transcript: Philip Reeker’s deposition

Full transcript: Mark Sandy’s deposition

Here are three takeaways from their testimony.

1. More evidence that Trump’s hold on Ukraine assistance wasn’t because of concern over general ‘corruption’

Not one but two officials in the Office of Management and Budget resigned as tensions rose over why Ukraine’s military aid was held up. Congress approved the money and the Pentagon signed off on it. It was OMB’s job to administer the aid, and Sandy, a top career official there, testified he didn’t understand why they couldn’t give to Ukraine. They were told the president wanted it paused.

View the complete November 26 article by Amber Phillips on The Washington Post website here.

White House budget official says decision to delay aid to Ukraine was highly irregular

Washington Post logoA longtime budget official testified Saturday that the White House decision to freeze military aid to Ukraine in mid-July was highly irregular and that senior political appointees in the Office of Management and Budget were unable to provide an explanation for the delay.

The testimony from Mark Sandy, the first employee of OMB to testify in the House impeachment probe, appeared to confirm Democrats’ assertion that the decision to withhold nearly $400 million in congressionally approved funds for Ukraine, including millions in lethal aid, was a political one.

Sandy, the deputy associate director for national security programs at OMB, testified that he was instructed to sign the first of several apportionment letters in which budget officials formally instituted the freeze on funds, according to two people familiar with his testimony who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak frankly. He was never given a specific reason as to why the letter was being sent out, the people added.

View the complete November 16 article by Karoun Demirjian, Rachel Bade, Colby Itkowitz and Erica Werner on The Washington Post website here.

White House budget official is prepared to testify on frozen Ukraine aid

Mark Sandy’s lawyer indicates he intends to testify Saturday if he receives a subpoena from lawmakers.

Mark Sandy, a senior White House budget official, is prepared to testify Saturday to House impeachment investigators about his knowledge of President Donald Trump’s decision to halt nearly $400 million in military aid to Ukraine, his lawyer indicated Thursday.

Sandy’s lawyer, Barbara Van Gelder — who is also representing former National Security Council aide Tim Morrison — said Sandy intends to testify if he receives a subpoena from lawmakers, a step Democrats have repeatedly taken with other cooperative witnesses to sidestep orders from the White House to refuse to testify.

A series of witnesses have indicated Trump ordered a freeze on military aid in early July, just as he and his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani were leaning on senior Ukrainian officials to announce investigations of Trump’s political rivals. The aid, which Ukraine depends upon to help fend off Russian military aggression in Crimea, was held until Sept. 11, despite unanimous approval from the State Department, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Pentagon, CIA and National Security Council that it should be distributed.

View the complete November 14 article by Kyle Cheney on the Politico website here.