Federal Investigation Opened Into Shady Last Minute Trump Move

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The Government Accountability Office (GAO), which is a federal entity, is opening an investigation into the Trump administration’s decision to transfer Space Command headquarters from Colorado to Alabama. (The Space Command is not the same institution as the Space Force.) Political considerations might have been involved in the announcement, which the Air Force unveiled well after the 2020 elections, considering the fact that Donald Trump lost Colorado but won Alabama in the presidential race. On a similar note, Colorado Republican Senator Cory Gardner lost his 2020 bid for re-election by over nine percent.

Colorado Republican Congressman Doug Lamborn, who requested an investigation into the Space Command move from the GAO, revealed in a press release that the agency was moving forward with a probe. He commented as follows:

‘I am very pleased that the Government Accountability Office is conducting an investigation of the methodology behind the headquarters selection process for U.S. Space Command. I believe the process the Department of the Air Force used was fundamentally flawed. It is crucial we thoroughly review their entire process to ensure that the decision was both sound and rooted in our national security interests.’

Lamborn also expressed particular confidence in the GAO, adding as follows:

‘This kind of review is precisely what GAO excels at, and I am confident they will investigate in a transparent, nonpartisan, and unbiased manner. I will continue working to ensure that USSPACECOM is headquartered at a location which strengthens and does not disrupt our national security space enterprise.’

Lamborn is far from alone in his concern over the planned move from Colorado to Alabama. Colorado’s whole Congressional delegation, including Democrats and Republicans, signed onto a request in January for a review from the Biden administration of the decision. At the time, the signatories — including Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), an ardent Trump ally — insisted that “significant evidence exists that the process was neither fair nor impartial and that President Trump’s political considerations influenced the final decision.” Colorado state legislators from both major parties and current Colorado Governor Jared Polis, a Democrat, have also expressed concern.

As the state officials put it:

‘Without a review, this hasty decision will undermine our country’s ability to respond to national security threats in space. We have concerns about the transparency, impartiality, and bias of the process that the previous administration used when coming to a final decision that should be addressed prior to any final decision on permanent basing.’

Trump’s legacy has already been undercut on an array of fronts since his exit from office. After taking power, the Biden administration paused the implementation of pending federal regulations from the Trump era that had not yet been formally enacted, allowing for a review period. On policy fronts, the Biden administration has already moved to end the Trump administration’s so-called Remain in Mexico policy, which forced asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico while their claims were processed in the United States.