NEW: Pentagon Accounting ‘Mishap’ Could Send Billions More To Ukraine Without Approval

A Pentagon accounting error has come to light, resulting in billions of dollars flowing into Ukraine without proper approval. The so-called mishap, which involves inconsistencies in equipment valuation, has raised serious questions about the management of taxpayer funds and the oversight of aid packages.

Pentagon spokeswoman, Sabrina Singh, acknowledged the issue, stating, “During our regular oversight process of presidential drawdown packages, the Department discovered inconsistencies in equipment valuation for Ukraine. In some cases, ‘replacement cost’ rather than ‘net book value’ was used, therefore overestimating the value of the equipment drawn down from U.S. stocks.”

This glaring oversight has ignited concerns that Ukraine might receive an excessive amount of aid, potentially compromising the carefully balanced budgetary allocations. Such discrepancies undermine the principles of fiscal responsibility and accountability within the defense establishment, a staple concern of the Biden administration.

AP wrote:

The error was caused when officials overvalued some of the systems sent to Ukraine, using the value of money it would cost to replace an item completely rather than the current value of the weapon. In many of the military aid packages, the Pentagon has opted to draw from its stockpiles of older, existing gear because it can get those items to Ukraine faster…

[Singh] added that the mistake hasn’t constrained U.S. support to Ukraine or hampered the ability to send aid to the battlefield.

A defense official said the Pentagon is still trying to determine exactly how much the total surplus will be. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said the comptroller has asked the military services to review all previous Ukraine aid packages using the proper cost figures. The result, said the official, will be that the department will have more available funding authority to use as the Ukraine offensive nears.

Although the Pentagon has reassured the public that it maintains a robust program to monitor aid distribution, questions linger about its effectiveness. Concerns continue to swirl around Biden and Zelensky. Earlier this week, the head of Ukraine’s Supreme Court was detained by Ukrainian prosecutors for involvement in a bribery scheme.

The arrest followed corruption within the Supreme Court, with Chief Justice Vsevolod Kniaziev reportedly detained in connection with a $3 million bribe. Ukraine’s fight against corruption is crucial for its potential EU membership.

According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, the Biden administration and the U.S. Congress have allocated over $75 billion in assistance to Ukraine since the start of the war. This substantial aid includes humanitarian, financial, and military support, benefiting various sectors of Ukrainian society such as refugees, law enforcement, and independent radio broadcasters. While a significant portion of the aid is military-related, numerous other countries, including NATO and EU members, are also contributing substantial aid packages to Ukraine.

Given the sensitive nature of certain weapons systems, the Pentagon claims to exercise additional vigilance during the transportation and delivery process. However, the magnitude of this accounting blunder raises doubts about the adequacy of their oversight protocols and calls for a comprehensive reassessment.

The incident epitomizes a broader pattern of mismanagement within the federal bureaucracy.