Feds open investigation into Gov. Greg Abbott’s use of federal funds for border mission

WASHINGTON — Gov. Greg Abbott’s use of COVID-19 aid {dollars} to assist his border safety mission has come underneath scrutiny in Washington this week as questions develop about whether or not it’s the correct use of the federal funds.

The U.S. Treasury Division’s inspector basic opened an inquiry into the spending on Tuesday, the Washington Put up reported. The motion got here a day after a gaggle of Texas Democrats within the U.S. Home referred to as on U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to research.

These steps adopted a Put up evaluation of cash supposed to fight the results of the pandemic, displaying that Texas “leaders rerouted public well being and security funds to their border operations, whereas counting on federal pandemic funds to interchange a few of the cash.”

These border operations included Operation Lone Star, a state border safety program that Abbott launched in March 2021 to cope with elevated border crossings. The initiative entails the deployment of the Texas Division of Public Security and the Texas Navy Division to the border. Abbott has used state assets to patrol the border, construct border limitations and arrest migrants for trespassing on non-public land after which flip them over to immigration authorities.

The state has spent round $4 billion on the operations; the Put up has reported that round $1 billion in coronavirus assist was used.

The cash got here from the Coronavirus Help, Reduction and Financial Safety Act, higher referred to as the CARES Act, which had a key provision to assist the medical response to the pandemic.

“In train of that duty … we’re at present conducting a evaluation of Texas’s makes use of of [Coronavirus Relief Fund] monies,” Richard Okay. Delmar, the U.S. Treasury Division’s deputy inspector basic, mentioned to the Washington Put up.

He additionally indicated he had not dominated out a “recoupment of the cash.”

Abbott’s spokesperson asserted that the spending was correct.

“Right here in Texas, now we have labored with the legislature to allocate federal funds in a fashion that adheres to federal steerage,” Abbott spokesperson Renae Eze mentioned in a press release to The Texas Tribune. “Between legislative periods, within the occasion of a catastrophe, there are mechanisms to re-allocate state {dollars} if essential to reply to the catastrophe—and now we have had to make use of $4 billion of state {dollars} for Operation Lone Star to do the federal authorities’s job.”

“Slightly than attacking Texas for responding to their border catastrophe that they’ve created and escalated within the final yr, President Biden and Democrats in Congress have to cease enjoying politics and do their jobs to safe our border,” she added.

Texas Democratic U.S. Reps. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio and Veronica Escobar of El Paso spearheaded the letter to Yellen asking for her division to research the matter.

“It’s negligent and irresponsible for Governor [Abbott] to direct further funding to Operation Lone Star, particularly if the funding in query was supposed to assist Texans rebuild from the pandemic,” the Texas Democrats wrote.

U.S. Reps. Colin Allred of Dallas, Lloyd Doggett of Austin, Marc Veasey of Fort Price and Sylvia R. Garcia, Al Inexperienced, Lizzie Pannill Fletcher and Sheila Jackson Lee of Houston joined in signing the letter.

“As you proceed your oversight of the Coronavirus State Fiscal Restoration Funds, we urge you to make sure all states are utilizing these essential funds for the explanations they have been meant for use,” they continued. “Governor Abbott should not be allowed to make use of federal coronavirus aid funds to additional his political theater on the expense of Texas households.”