The Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a decision on Monday finding that the Trump administration violated the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 by withholding congressionally appropriated funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). In March, President Trump signed an executive order calling for the elimination of the IMLS, and in April the agency was gutted by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), placing its entire 75-person staff on leave. The GAO determined that the IMLS ceased performing its legal duties and withheld funds intended for museums and libraries, and that the administration could not justify the withholding.
This ruling matters because the IMLS is the primary federal agency distributing funds to American museums and libraries, and its defunding threatens vital support for cultural institutions nationwide. The decision marks another instance of the GAO finding the Trump administration in violation of spending laws, following a similar ruling in May over electric vehicle charging funds. The administration has denied the charges, and it remains unclear whether the GAO will sue to force the release of funds, while the IMLS also faces potential closure under the proposed 2026 fiscal budget.