GAO preparing "blizzard of audits" for Trumps COVID19 response

[floridafan]

President Donald Trump has recently been waging war against inspectors general whose job is to investigate alleged wrongdoing in various departments of his administration.

However, the president will have far less luck in thwarting the independent Government Accountability Office from doing its job.

As Politico reports, the GAO is preparing to launch a “blizzard of audits” for the Trump administration’s handling of the disease, and the president won’t be able to fire them.

“Even as Trump has gone to war against internal watchdogs in his administration, the Government Accountability Office remains largely out of the president’s grasp because of its home in the legislative branch,” Politico explains.

The GAO is expected to have launched at least 30 different probes and audits related to the COVID-19 response by the end of this month, and they will mostly be focused on the implementation of the coronavirus economic rescue package signed into law earlier this month.

“Topics will range from the government’s handling of coronavirus testing to its distribution of medical equipment, and from the nation’s food supply to nursing home infections and any missteps in distributing the emergency cash payments that began landing in millions of Americans’ bank accounts this week,” the publication writes. “The office’s top fraud investigator said it’s already received a complaint about a check landing in the account of a deceased person.”

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/0...-audits-192272

[Althea]

I think they'll get push back from trump, who essentially usurped control of oversight. I hope they can get access to records re. cash disbursements.

[floridafan]

I think they'll get push back from trump, who essentially usurped control of oversight. I hope they can get access to records re. cash disbursements.

Trump has no control overt the GAO.

[Trumpet]

That's great news.

[Althea]

Trump has no control overt the GAO.

Reallly? How does the GAO get records of disbursements, if trump doesn't release them?

[floridafan]

Reallly? How does the GAO get records of disbursements, if trump doesn't release them?

GAO is controlled by congress and not the executive branch

[Althea]

GAO is controlled by congress and not the executive branch

Congress has no control over those records. That's the problem

[Althea]

“I do not understand, and my Administration will not treat, this provision as permitting the SIGPR to issue reports to the Congress without the presidential supervision required by the Take Care Clause,” part of Article II Section 3 of the Constitution that states a sitting president “shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed.” This seems to suggest the administration believes it is the president’s duty and not that of an inspector general to ensure the funds are distributed as the law intends.