The Trump administration did not violate the law by authorizing an emergency sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia and the Office of the Inspector General has ruled.
According to The Daily Caller:
A report from the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) concluded that the Trump administration did not violate the law by authorizing an emergency certification for a weapons sale to Saudi Arabia in May 2019.
A senior State Department official told reporters Monday the emergency arms sale was in “complete accordance with the law” despite objections that the move defied the precedent of congressional review of major weapons sales.
President Donald Trump declared a national emergency in May 2019 over tensions with Iran and told Congress he would authorize the sale of roughly $8.1 billion worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported. The United Arab Emirates and Jordan also received weapons as part of the 22 total weapons sales.
Proponents of the deal like Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the sale was necessary to counter Iranian aggression, while critics — both Democratic and Republican — said the move emboldened Saudi Arabia’s military campaign in Yemen, according to PBS.
The ruling stated that Pompeo’s emergency certification was within the bounds of his secretarial power and met all of the statutory requirements.
