Elaine McCusker

Last updated

Elaine McCusker
Elaine A. McCusker official photo.jpg
Acting Comptroller of the Department of Defense
In office
July 31, 2019 –June 26, 2020

McCusker previously worked for the United States Energy Department's Argonne National Laboratory, the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services, the Pentagon Comptroller's office, and the Navy Department. At the Navy Department, she was a special assistant for the Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle program. [7] [9]

McCusker contributed to announcements in September 2019 regarding Trump's plan to divert Pentagon funds to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. McCusker announced wall construction could begin as within three months on federally owned land. Construction of the wall on other government or privately owned land would commence at a later date, she noted. [10]

McCusker was identified as one of the federal officials with knowledge of President Trump's effort to keep Ukraine from receiving aid authorized by Congress. Emails that she sent and received regarding the matter were included in documents obtained by the Center for Public Integrity in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. [11] Michael Duffey, a political appointee in White House's Office of Management and Budget (OMB), emailed McCusker and others an hour and a half after Trump's call with Ukrainian leader Zelenksy, requesting they "hold off" on distributing aid to the Ukraine. [12]

McCusker then sent emails to the OMB expressing concern that by withholding funds from the Ukraine, the White House was violating the Impoundment Control Act, which requires that the executive branch spend appropriations that have been approved by Congress. [13]

On June 16, 2020, she announced her resignation as Deputy Under Secretary, effective June 26. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974</span> United States law on role of Congress in budgeting

The Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 is a United States federal law that governs the role of the Congress in the United States budget process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Rood</span> American politician (born 1968)

John Charles Rood is an American national security adviser and former government official who served as the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy from January 2018 to February 2020. Before that, he was Senior Vice President of Lockheed Martin where he oversaw international business. He also served as vice president for Domestic Business Development at Lockheed Martin and he was a vice president at the Raytheon Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Hale (diplomat)</span> American diplomat (born 1961)

David Maclain Hale is an American diplomat and career ambassador, who previously served as the United States Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs. He is currently a Distinguished Diplomatic Fellow at the Wilson Center, on detail from the Department of State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">K. T. McFarland</span> American government official and political commentator (born 1951)

Kathleen Troia McFarland is an American political commentator, civil servant, author, and former political candidate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cabinet of Donald Trump</span> Members of President Donald Trumps Cabinet

Donald Trump assumed office as president of the United States on January 20, 2017, and his term ended on January 20, 2021. The president has the authority to nominate members of his Cabinet to the United States Senate for confirmation under the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Political appointments by Donald Trump</span>

This is a list of political appointments of current officeholders made by the 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elaine Duke</span> American civil servant (born 1958)

Elaine Costanzo Duke is an American civil servant and former United States Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, serving from April 10, 2017 until April 15, 2018. She became acting Secretary of Homeland Security on July 31, 2017, when John F. Kelly assumed the office of White House Chief of Staff. She left the acting position on December 6, 2017, upon the confirmation of Kirstjen Nielsen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick M. Shanahan</span> American government official (born 1962)

Patrick Michael Shanahan is the interim CEO of Spirit AeroSystems. He is a former United States federal government official who served as acting U.S. Secretary of Defense in 2019. President Donald Trump appointed Shanahan to the role after the resignation of Retired General James N. Mattis. Shanahan served as Deputy Secretary of Defense from 2017 to 2019. He previously spent 30 years at Boeing in a variety of roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard V. Spencer</span> American politician & businessman (born 1954)

Richard Vaughn Spencer is an American politician and businessman who served as the 76th United States Secretary of the Navy from August 3, 2017, to November 24, 2019. While serving as Secretary of the Navy, he also briefly served as Acting United States Secretary of Defense and Acting United States Deputy Secretary of Defense. Spencer served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1976 to 1981 as a Marine Aviator and also served as Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer of Intercontinental Exchange from November 2001 to January 2008. Spencer served as Secretary of the Navy from August 3, 2017, to November 24, 2019, when Secretary of Defense Mark Esper requested his resignation over his handling of the Eddie Gallagher case. Spencer was displeased that the White House interfered and pressured him to let Gallagher retire as a Navy SEAL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Norquist</span> American government official (born 1966)

David L. Norquist is an American financial management professional and former government official who served as the 34th United States deputy secretary of defense from 2019 to 2021. In May of 2022, Norquist was selected as the president and chief executive officer of the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russell Vought</span> American government official (born 1976)

Russell Thurlow Vought is an American former government official who was the director of the Office of Management and Budget from July 2020 to January 2021. He was previously deputy director of the OMB from 2018 to 2020 and acting director from 2019 to 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathryn L. Wheelbarger</span> American lawyer (born 1977)

Kathryn Lynn Wheelbarger is an American attorney and government official, who served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs from 2018 to 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Kratsios</span> American government official (born 1986)

Michael John Kotsakas Kratsios is an American business executive and government official. He served as the fourth Chief Technology Officer of the United States at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. In this role, Kratsios served as President Donald Trump's top technology advisor. From July 10, 2020 to January 20, 2021, Kratsios was also the Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alyssa Farah Griffin</span> American political strategist and television personality (born 1989)

Alyssa Farah Griffin is an American political strategist and television personality. She was the White House Director of Strategic Communications and Assistant to the President in 2020 during the presidency of Donald Trump. She is a co-host of the daytime talk show The View and also appears on CNN as a political commentator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump</span> 2019 Congressional process regarding U.S. President Trump

The inquiry process which preceded the first impeachment of Donald Trump, 45th president of the United States, was initiated by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on September 24, 2019, after a whistleblower alleged that Donald Trump may have abused the power of the presidency. Trump was accused of withholding military aid as a means of pressuring newly elected president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky to pursue investigations of Joe Biden and his son Hunter and to investigate a conspiracy theory that Ukraine, not Russia, was behind interference in the 2016 presidential election. More than a week after Trump had put a hold on the previously approved aid, he made these requests in a July 25 phone call with the Ukrainian president, which the whistleblower said was intended to help Trump's reelection bid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Cooper</span> American civil servant

Laura Katherine Cooper is an American civil servant. She is Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russian, Ukrainian, and Eurasian affairs in the office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, and a career member of the Senior Executive Service. She previously served as principal director in the office of the Homeland Defense and Global Security Affairs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First impeachment of Donald Trump</span> 2019 US presidential impeachment

The first impeachment of Donald Trump, the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021, began on December 18, 2019, during the 116th United States Congress. The House of Representatives adopted two articles of impeachment against Trump: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Trump was acquitted by the Senate on February 5, 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Executive Office appointments by Donald Trump</span>

The core White House staff appointments, and most Executive Office of the President officials generally, are not required to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate, with a handful of exceptions. There are about 4,000 positions in the Executive Office of the President.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of investigations into Donald Trump and Russia (July–December 2019)</span>

This is a timeline of major events in second half of 2019 related to the investigations into the myriad links between Trump associates and Russian officials and spies that are suspected of being inappropriate, relating to the Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections. It follows the timeline of Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections before and after July 2016 up until election day November 8, and the transition, the first and second halves of 2017, the first and second halves of 2018, and the first half of 2019, but precedes that of 2020 and 2021.

References

  1. 1 2 "Elaine A. McCusker". Biographies. United States Air Force. March 2018. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  2. ↑ "President Announces Picks for Senior Pentagon Posts" (Press release). United States Department of Defense. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
  3. ↑ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Key Administration Posts". whitehouse.gov (Press release). Office of the Press Secretary. March 16, 2017. Retrieved May 1, 2017– via National Archives.
  4. ↑ Kheel, Rebecca (August 2, 2017). "Navy secretary, seven other Pentagon posts confirmed". The Hill. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  5. ↑ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Personnel to Key Administration Post". whitehouse.gov (Press release). November 6, 2019. Retrieved November 8, 2019– via National Archives.
  6. ↑ O'Brien, Connor (March 2, 2020). "White House withdraws nomination of Defense official who questioned Ukraine aid freeze". Politico. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 Sampier, Kevin (September 30, 2007). "Pekin woman sings praises of latest combat vehicle". The State Journal-Register (web ed.). Springfield, Illinois. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  8. ↑ "William McCusker". Pekin Daily Times. August 26, 2009. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  9. ↑ Freedberg Jr., Sydney; Clark, Colin (March 16, 2017). "Trump Picks Technocrats, Not Billionaires, For Top Pentagon Posts". Breaking Defense. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Trump Administration Advances Plan to Shift $3.6 Billion in Military Funds to Border Wall". The Wall Street Journal . September 3, 2019.
  11. ↑ "Ukraine aid frozen just after call, files show". Arkansas Democrat Gazette. December 22, 2019.
  12. ↑ Levin, Bess (December 23, 2019). "Report: White House Froze Ukraine Aid 91 Minutes After Trump Asked For a "Favor"". Vanity Fair. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  13. ↑ "Emails Show Pentagon Official's Concerns Over Ukraine Aid Freeze". The Wall Street Journal (web ed.). January 2, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Statement From Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper on the Resignation of DOD Comptroller Elaine McCusker". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.