A former official in the government’s Office of Management and Budget denounced a temporary pause to all grants and loans disbursed by the federal government as “a massive fraud” carried out by its not-yet-confirmed director Russell Vought.
Topher Spiro, who served as associate director of health care programs under former president Joe Biden, flagged the two-page document signed by the executive agency’s acting director, Matthew Vaeth, as legally questionable and highly suspicious.
“I have no doubt that OMB lawyers would believe this is illegal,” Spiro posted on X. “I know Matt Vaeth. This memo reads like a hostage note written directly by Russ Vought, who is not confirmed.”
“In sum, Russ Vought is illegally carrying out his ideological agenda with greatest harm to the most vulnerable — including many in the working class and rural communities who voted for Trump,” Spiro wrote. “A massive fraud.”
If it’s criminal they’ll try it. If it’s that obviously illegal, maybe we don’t go along with it?