GAO report: Barack Obama broke the law with Bowe Bergdahl exchange

  Back in early June I wrote about Barack Obama calling Dianne Feinstein to apologize to her for not notifying the Congress about the Bowe Bergdahl prisoner exchange. 

  
The President is supposed to notify the Congress about prisoner exchanges at least 30 days before they take place so Barack Obama and the Department of Defense, acting on his behalf, broke the law by not notifying them. Barack Obama saw things a little differently: he defended this action by saying that because he had mentioned for months that a swap for Bowe Bergdahl might eventually happen he did not have to give them any additional official notification. 

  Today the Government Accountability Office released a report which states that the Department of Defense was in violation of the law for not notifying the Congress.

  Here is more:

President Obama violated a “clear and unambiguous” law when he released five Guantanamo Bay detainees in exchange for Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, the Government Accountability Office reported Thursday.

“[The Department of Defense] violated section 8111 because it did not notify the relevant congressional committees at least 30 days in advance of the transfer,” the GAO report said. “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. The Antideficiency Act prohibits federal agencies from incurring obligations exceeding an amount available in an appropriation.”

  So what does this mean moving forward? Nothing. The establishment Republicans talk a good game but when push comes to shove they will do nothing but talk. They love to oppose Barack Obama when it comes to gaining support with their base but that is all they will do. This might be a campaign issue, but nothing more.