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GAO Finds Bergdahl Prisoner Swap Broke Federal Law

File photo of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl
U.S. Army
File photo of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl

An independent government investigation out Thursday finds the Pentagon broke the law when it swapped five members of the Taliban for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl of Idaho.

 Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was captured by the Taliban in 2009 while serving in eastern Afghanistan.
Credit U.S. Army
/
U.S. Army
File photo of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl

The Government Accountability Office said officials should have given Congress 30 days' notice.

Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was released on May 31 after nearly five years in Taliban captivity. But members of Congress -- Republicans as well as some Democrats – said the means of retrieving him was unlawful.

And now, Congress’ investigative arm agrees. The GAO said the Department of Defense had a legal duty to consult key committees before releasing Guantanamo Bay detainees. In addition, investigators found the department violated the Antideficiency Act because no money was legally available to fund the costs of the transfer.

Defense officials told the GAO they believed the requirement to notify Congress was unconstitutional in this case. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has previously said they believed Bergdahl's health and safety required swift action.

The possibility of some sort of prisoner exchange for Bergdahl had been in the works for years. But the sudden news that a deal had been struck surprised Congress, and members of the public. Bergdahl’s release incited a controversy, both over the swap and whether he had deserted his post.

Bergdahl’s hometown of Hailey, Idaho, cancelled its welcome home celebration amid threats. But many long-time supporters continue to defend the swap. They’re asking people to participate in a “Thank You President Obama Video.”

Meanwhile, the Army has extended the deadline for a separate investigation into the circumstances that led to Bergdahl's capture.

Copyright 2014 Northwest News Network

Jessica Robinson
Jessica Robinson reported for four years from the Northwest News Network's bureau in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho as the network's Inland Northwest Correspondent. From the politics of wolves to mining regulation to small town gay rights movements, Jessica covered the economic, demographic and environmental trends that have shaped places east of the Cascades. Jessica left the Northwest News Network in 2015 for a move to Norway.