Trump’s transition
Prom
Backed by
The decision of the Trump team to not accept a transition deal complicates their promises of transparency. They have stated that they will reveal the names of their donors and will not accept donations from foreign sources, but they are not required by law to follow through on these commitments.
Written by Simon J. Levien
President-elect Donald J. Trump’s team has decided not to sign a transition agreement with the General Services Administration. This means that even though the team has said they will uphold certain traditions of transparency during presidential transitions, they are not required by law to keep their promises.
The process of transitioning between presidential administrations follows a set of rules and customs that allow the current administration to share private information with incoming officials and to financially support the transition process. In the case of Mr. Trump’s transition team, they chose not to accept $7.2 million in government funds from the G.S.A. in exchange for disclosing their donors and refusing contributions from foreign sources. Additionally, they agreed to an ethics pledge with the White House, although it is uncertain if this pledge aligns with transition regulations.
This week, Mr. Trump’s transition team announced that choosing to rely solely on private funding will help save money for taxpayers.
The Trump administration has not specified when they will reveal the names of donors or if they will disclose the amounts of their donations. If the Trump team accepts assistance from the G.S.A., donor information must be disclosed within 30 days of the inauguration on January 20th. Previous presidential transitions have limited individual donations to $5,000, a limit that the Trump team has not confirmed they will adhere to. The G.S.A. would also offer secure communication lines and office space for internal meetings.
Following a delay past the October 1 deadline, the team of Mr. Trump has now agreed to start formal briefings led by outgoing administration members. However, Mr. Trump has still not signed an agreement with the Justice Department that would enable the FBI to conduct security checks for transition staff. This lack of clearances means that Biden administration officials are unable to share classified information with a significant number of transition team members.
This week, the team of Mr. Trump released an ethics plan for their transition staff. Even though President Biden’s staff agreed to the plan while negotiating with Mr. Trump, it may not comply with the Presidential Transition Act. This act requires that these plans outline how a president-elect will handle their own conflicts of interest. It seems that Mr. Trump’s plan does not meet this requirement.
Spokespeople for both the Trump transition team and the White House have not yet responded to requests for comments.
"We have reached an agreement with the White House that will enable our chosen cabinet nominees to start important preparations, such as sending landing teams to all departments and agencies, and ensuring a smooth transfer of power," stated Susie Wiles, who will serve as Mr. Trump’s chief of staff.
When transitioning into the presidency in 2016, Mr. Trump signed an agreement with the G.S.A. By the time of his inauguration, the transition team had approximately 120 staff members and had disclosed raising $6.5 million in funds, along with receiving $2.4 million in reimbursements from the federal government.
Reporting was provided by Ken Bensinger.
Simon J. Levien is a political reporter for the Times who is currently focusing on the 2024 elections. He is also part of the 2024-25 Times Fellowship class, a program designed for aspiring journalists who are at the beginning of their careers. To learn more about Simon J. Levien,
Prom
Page Index
Navigation for Site Information