President Trump announced on Monday night that he is withdrawing the nomination of Elaine McCusker, who had questioned his temporary freeze of military aid to Ukraine, for the post of comptroller of the Defense Department.
The White House’s statement offered no reason for the move, and Democrats in Congress said it was another retaliation against those who had a connection to Mr. Trump’s impeachment case.
“Elaine McCusker is another casualty of the Trump administration’s efforts to purge public servants who put country before fealty to the president,” said Sen. Jack Reed, Rhode Island Democrat and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “The termination of her nomination is collateral damage by a president who has vindictively purged career national security professionals caught up in the impeachment inquiry.”
He said Ms. McCusker “is a dedicated civil servant with decades of experience at the Department of Defense.”
“Ms. McCusker is paying the price for trying to ensure that the administration followed the law.” Mr. Reed said. “We know from witness testimony and leaked emails between her and the Office of Management and Budget that Ms. McCusker repeatedly raised concerns about the president’s unexplained hold on Ukraine security assistance and sought to ensure that the administration was in compliance with the law.”
He said the administration “appears to think that by pulling her nomination it can avoid oversight of the Department’s illegal hold on Ukraine security assistance funds. It is sorely mistaken.”
He called on the Pentagon to provide unredacted emails between the Comptroller’s office and the White House Office of Management and Budget on the issue.
Democrats alleged, and several witnesses testified, that Mr. Trump was using the temporary hold on military aid to pressure Ukraine to investigate Democratic presidential candidate Joseph R. Biden. Mr. Trump has denied such pressure, and the Senate acquitted him in a trial last month.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.