Appeals Court Confirms Trump Illegally Used Funds For US-Mexico Border Wall
A federal appeals court has ruled on Friday that President Trump and his administration illegally used funds for the construction of the US-Mexico border wall. In a 2-1 ruling, a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel stated that Trump diverted $2.5 billion from Congress, that was initially appropriated for the military. They’ve classified the move as unlawful and a violation of the Constitution.
The majority wrote, “[The executive branch] lacked independent constitutional authority to authorize the transfer of funds. These funds were appropriated for other purposes, and the transfer amounted to ‘drawing funds from the Treasury without authorization by statute and thus violating the Appropriations Clause.’ Therefore, the transfer of funds here was unlawful.”
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As California federal judge Haywood S. Gilliam Jr. made the ruling, finding the administration failed to prove the funds were needed for “unforeseen military requirements,” California Attorney General Xavier Becerra stated, “Today, the court reminded the President — once again — that no one is above the law. While the Trump Administration steals public funds to build an unauthorized wall at the Southern Border, families across the country are struggling to pay their bills.”
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