The Office of Ethics and Accountability shall be funded as a separate budget entity in the Annual Budget and Appropriation Ordinance. Any decrease in appropriations from the prior fiscal year, in either the proposed or adopted budget, shall be accompanied by a written justification for the decrease. Subject to the provisions of Article VIII of the Charter, it is authorized to expend funds derived from private grants, the State or the United States to carry out its functions and activities, and to cooperate with any agency of the State or the United States in carrying out its functions and activities.