“The appointments of two top Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials, including the acting secretary, violated federal law, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report issued Friday.” https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/512007-government-watchdog-finds-top-trump-dhs-officials-are-ineligible-for
“The GAO found that acting Secretary Chad Wolf and acting deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli are technically ineligible to serve based on their improper appointment. The office did not review the legality of their orders while serving in their positions improperly.
The GAO did not weigh in on the “consequences” of the tenure of McAleenan, Wolf or Cuccinelli, referring those issues to the DHS Office of Inspector General. The report’s findings are not legally binding, but they are likely to be used in legal challenges to DHS’s actions since Wolf took over as acting head of the agency last November.
Neither DHS nor the DHS Office of Inspector General immediately responded to requests for comment on the GAO ruling.”
GAO: “Department of Homeland Security—Legality of Service of Acting Secretary of Homeland Security and Service of Senior Official Performing the Duties of Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security” B-331650: Aug 14, 2020 https://www.gao.gov/products/%20B-331650#mt=e-report
Eideard 
“The appointments of two top Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials, including the acting secretary, violated federal law, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report issued Friday.” https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/512007-government-watchdog-finds-top-trump-dhs-officials-are-ineligible-for
“The GAO found that acting Secretary Chad Wolf and acting deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli are technically ineligible to serve based on their improper appointment. The office did not review the legality of their orders while serving in their positions improperly.
The GAO did not weigh in on the “consequences” of the tenure of McAleenan, Wolf or Cuccinelli, referring those issues to the DHS Office of Inspector General. The report’s findings are not legally binding, but they are likely to be used in legal challenges to DHS’s actions since Wolf took over as acting head of the agency last November.
Neither DHS nor the DHS Office of Inspector General immediately responded to requests for comment on the GAO ruling.”
GAO: “Department of Homeland Security—Legality of Service of Acting Secretary of Homeland Security and Service of Senior Official Performing the Duties of Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security” B-331650: Aug 14, 2020 https://www.gao.gov/products/%20B-331650#mt=e-report