Law be damned, Trump asserts unilateral control over executive branch, federal service (2 Viewers)

[superchuck500]

Following the Project 2025 playbook, in the last week, Trump and his newly installed loyalists have moved to (1) dismiss federal officials deemed unreliable to do his bidding (including 17 inspectors general) - many of which have protections from arbitrary dismissal, (2) freeze all science and public health activity until he can wrest full control, (3) freeze all federal assistance and grant activity deemed inconsistent with Trump's agenda, and (4) moved to terminate all federal employee telework and DEI programs.

The problem is much of this is controlled by federal law and not subject to sudden and complete change by the president through executive order. Most notably is the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 that simply codifies what is the constitutional allocation of resources where Congress appropriates money to the executive branch for a specific purpose, the executive branch must carry out that statutory purpose. This is indeed a constitutional crisis and even if Congress abdicates to Trump by acquiescing, the courts must still apply the law - or rule it unconstitutional.

And meanwhile the architect of much of this unlawful action is Russell Vought, Trump’s OMB nominee who the Senate appears ready to confirm.

120. The Impoundment Crisis of 2025

The Trump administration's Monday spending freeze is likely to provoke a crisis over the constitutionality of "impoundment"—one that the justices could well have to resolve *very* soon.

www.stevevladeck.com

 

[RobF]

1. Internal audit​

Internal audits take place within your business. As the business owner, you initiate the audit while someone else in your business conducts it.

Businesses that have shareholders or board members may use internal audits as a way to update them on their business’s finances. And, internal audits are a good way to check in on financial goals.

Although there are many reasons you may conduct an internal audit, some common reasons include to:

• Propose improvements
• Monitor effectiveness
• Make sure your business is compliant with laws and regulations
• Review and verify financial information
• Evaluate risk management policies and procedures
• Examine operation processes

5. Operational audit​

Operational audits are similar to internal audits. An operational audit analyzes your company’s goals, planning processes, procedures, and operation results.

Generally, operational audits are conducted internally. However, an operational audit can be external.

The goal of an operational audit is to fully evaluate your business’s operations and determine ways to improve them.

Different Types of Audits | Internal, Financial, & More

Conducting regular audits is important for any small business. But, do you know about all the different types of audit?

www.patriotsoftware.com

9 types.

And I have been involved in various types of audits in particular the type 1, 3, and 7. Rather common in the 33 years I worked. 1971-2004.

Uh huh. And which type of audit is it where you feed a government agency "into the chipper" over the weekend?

 

[fooferdoggie]

Most unsurprising thing ever. This SCOTUS has emboldened him. It’s only a matter of time until he just flat out ignores a court order, IMO, probably a Supreme Court ruling. Just to prove he can.

Judge says Trump administration is not in full compliance with order on spending — NPR

The judge had issued a temporary restraining order against an administration plan to freeze payments for grants and other federal programs, but says the administration has not been fully complying.

apple.news

of course, he does good Christians dont obey laws.

 

[DaveXA]

Uh huh. And which type of audit is it where you feed a government agency "into the chipper" over the weekend?

Yeah. He's either delusional or dishonest. If he know as much about audits as he purports to, he wouldn't be calling this an audit.

 

[superchuck500]

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/10/trump-removes-government-ethics-office-director-00203418

 

[Neworleansfan]

they ignored a court order. Are we in a constitutional crisis yet?

 

[Optimus Prime]

Most unsurprising thing ever. This SCOTUS has emboldened him. It’s only a matter of time until he just flat out ignores a court order, IMO, probably a Supreme Court ruling. Just to prove he can.

Judge says Trump administration is not in full compliance with order on spending — NPR

The judge had issued a temporary restraining order against an administration plan to freeze payments for grants and other federal programs, but says the administration has not been fully complying.

apple.news

Trump:




Trump after he ignores the courts:

 

[Optimus Prime]

I think that the GOP is acting in the same cowardly way they did after January 6th

I believe most of them knew full when how bad that day was and knew full well Trump was responsible and knew full well that he should be punished for it

……but they were going to be damned if they would be the ones to do it

Let the court system handle it and be the bad guys

Fast forward to today

I believe most of the GOP knows full how bad this it, overstepping at best and illegal at worst the things Trump and Musk are doing and know full well Trump and Musk should be reigned in

……but they’re going to be damned if they are going to be the ones to do it

Let the court system handle it and be the bad guys

 

[Optimus Prime]

Trump removes top government ethics czar | CNN Politics

President Donald Trump is removing the head of the Office of Government Ethics from his post, the agency said Monday – the latest example of Trump acting against a government watchdog.

www.cnn.com

 

[Optimus Prime]

President Donald Trump is set Monday to sign an executive order directing the Department of Justice to pause enforcing a nearly half-century-old law that prohibits American companies and foreign firms from bribing officials of foreign governments to obtain or retain business.

The pause in criminal prosecutions will be implemented to avoid putting U.S. businesses at an economic disadvantage to foreign competitors.

The Bloomberg news service first reported the planned executive order related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Bloomberg reported that Trump will tell Attorney General Pam Bondi to pause FCPA actions, and to review current and past actions related to the law, while preparing new guidelines for enforcement.

A White House official confirmed the report, telling CNBC, “A pause in enforcement to better understand how to streamline the FCPA to make sure it’s in line with economic interests and national security.”………

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/10/trump-doj-foreign-corrupt-practices-act-pause.html

 

[TampaJoe]

1. Internal audit​

Internal audits take place within your business. As the business owner, you initiate the audit while someone else in your business conducts it.

Businesses that have shareholders or board members may use internal audits as a way to update them on their business’s finances. And, internal audits are a good way to check in on financial goals.

Although there are many reasons you may conduct an internal audit, some common reasons include to:

• Propose improvements
• Monitor effectiveness
• Make sure your business is compliant with laws and regulations
• Review and verify financial information
• Evaluate risk management policies and procedures
• Examine operation processes

5. Operational audit​

Operational audits are similar to internal audits. An operational audit analyzes your company’s goals, planning processes, procedures, and operation results.

Generally, operational audits are conducted internally. However, an operational audit can be external.

The goal of an operational audit is to fully evaluate your business’s operations and determine ways to improve them.

Different Types of Audits | Internal, Financial, & More

Conducting regular audits is important for any small business. But, do you know about all the different types of audit?

www.patriotsoftware.com

9 types.

And I have been involved in various types of audits in particular the type 1, 3, and 7. Rather common in the 33 years I worked. 1971-2004.

I don’t know that what they are doing can be classified in any of the categories in your post. Audits are reviews typically that test whether the “system” under review is operating as intended by management.

This is closer to the type of review that is done if the business is reorganizing or in the middle of a turnaround. It differs from a typical audit in that you are not only looking for failures in controls but also question the “why” behind the expenditure. Do you really “need” to spend this money? People on the inside are often not well equipped to identify and/or challenge such things. That’s why they hire folks from the outside.

 

[MT15]

I don’t know that what they are doing can be classified in any of the categories in your post. Audits are reviews typically that test whether the “system” under review is operating as intended by management.

This is closer to the type of review that is done if the business is reorganizing or in the middle of a turnaround. It differs from a typical audit in that you are not only looking for failures in controls but also question the “why” behind the expenditure. Do you really “need” to spend this money? People on the inside are often not well equipped to identify and/or challenge such things. That’s why they hire folks from the outside.

It’s not that kind of audit either, Joe. They have taken some really drastic steps in less than 2 weeks. You won’t find any kind of professional auditor who will do that - that isn’t even enough time for these software engineers to understand the systems they are allegedly altering. They aren’t trying to understand anything - they’re just cutting and eliminating.

Just like when they turned off all the Medicaid websites, after promising that they weren’t doing that.

Now a federal judge has ruled they are defying his stay, and still withholding properly appropriated funds.

This is unconstitutional, as I understand it. It’s not in the executive branch’s authority to delete or withhold funds appropriated by the Legislative Branch.

We’re heading for a full-blown Constitutional crisis.

 

[MT15]

Here’s the most complete list I have seen for who Musk is using for this “audit”.

They’re not accountants, much less forensic accountants, CPAs, or even finance degrees. As far as I can tell they are almost all software guys. They know how to access and modify computer systems to achieve a desired goal. They don’t know how to evaluate cash flows or anything like that.

How are these guys supposedly conducting any kind of audit? Hint: they’re not. At all.

Who is part of Elon Musk's DOGE and what are they doing?

The scope of DOGE's work and the identities of the people carrying it out isn't fully clear — leaving agencies and government workers in chaos.

www.opb.org

 

[TampaJoe]

It’s not that kind of audit either, Joe. They have taken some really drastic steps in less than 2 weeks. You won’t find any kind of professional auditor who will do that - that isn’t even enough time for these software engineers to understand the systems they are allegedly altering. They aren’t trying to understand anything - they’re just cutting and eliminating.

Just like when they turned off all the Medicaid websites, after promising that they weren’t doing that.

Now a federal judge has ruled they are defying his stay, and still withholding properly appropriated funds.

This is unconstitutional, as I understand it. It’s not in the executive branch’s authority to delete or withhold funds appropriated by the Legislative Branch.

We’re heading for a full-blown Constitutional crisis.

Yeah well I don’t know who they have staffing these reviews. Turnaround guy are often CPAs but not always. You don’t need to be a CPA to do the work. Typically it’s folks who are experienced in turnarounds. Not everybody can do it.

Many times you have staff people gathering data and more senior people doing the actual review. As I said, I am not sure how that job is being staffed and what processes are being used to identify items to question and recommend as potential cuts.

Then courts are involved at this point and I’m sure we will learn more as the cases proceed the judicial process.

 

[TampaJoe]

Here’s the most complete list I have seen for who Musk is using for this “audit”.

They’re not accountants, much less forensic accountants, CPAs, or even finance degrees. As far as I can tell they are almost all software guys. They know how to access and modify computer systems to achieve a desired goal. They don’t know how to evaluate cash flows or anything like that.

How are these guys supposedly conducting any kind of audit? Hint: they’re not. At all.

Who is part of Elon Musk's DOGE and what are they doing?

The scope of DOGE's work and the identities of the people carrying it out isn't fully clear — leaving agencies and government workers in chaos.

www.opb.org

I’ve done several turnarounds in my career. I would never call it an audit. It’s a financial review of sorts and it is heavily data driven. You follow the money.

 

[J-DONK]

Here’s the most complete list I have seen for who Musk is using for this “audit”.

They’re not accountants, much less forensic accountants, CPAs, or even finance degrees. As far as I can tell they are almost all software guys. They know how to access and modify computer systems to achieve a desired goal. They don’t know how to evaluate cash flows or anything like that.

How are these guys supposedly conducting any kind of audit? Hint: they’re not. At all.

Who is part of Elon Musk's DOGE and what are they doing?

The scope of DOGE's work and the identities of the people carrying it out isn't fully clear — leaving agencies and government workers in chaos.

www.opb.org

Elon is about give all these conseratives a lesson on why you shouldn't vote for their ilk. He is trying to do to the government what he did to Twitter. If you aren't a partisan hack, you should be extremely concerned. Twitter is a worse product, and worth signficantly less then when Elon bought it. All of his changes did accomplish one goal, Twitter is a better experience for Elon. This won't end well for everyone who isn't a billionaire.

Also Elon didn't "audit" twitter. This is ridiculous. He comes in and breaks a bunch of stuff, and figures what he needs to get the bare minimum running to best suit his interest. That's it.

 

[Neworleansfan]

you got what you voted for.

Louisiana rice is one of the largest participants in international food aid programs, Musk's takeover of USAID threatens it

Millions in USAID money has gone to some of the largest rice mill operations in the state, such as Supreme Rice in Crowley and Farmers Rice Milling Company in Lake Charles.

www.nola.com

 

[DJ1BigTymer]

Simple question for you pro-doge people that claim they are conducting an audit: who's responsible for making the changes within these government agencies that their "audit" suggest?

 

[DaveXA]

Anyone thinking this is some kind of audit is either an ignorant idiot or a bootlicker. I'm going with bootlicker myself.