Donald Trump is shirking decades-old practices designed to make the transfer of power easier, as it were The New York Times.
After weeks of delay, the president’s team signed a transition agreement with the White House to begin notifying employees. But they still refuse to sign two other important documents. Another agreement by the Department of Justice to allow the FBI to execute security warrants for members of the reform team. This means that the Biden administration has not yet been able to share specific information with anyone from Trump’s transition team. Trump’s team also won’t sign a deal with the General Services Administration, which provides secure office space and government email accounts.
Top Trump aide Susan Wiles explained the reason for the refusal, saying Trump wants his team to act “work as an independent organization. This organizational autonomy means a streamlined process that ensures the Trump Administration is ready on Day 1.”
“This transition already has existing safeguards and information security built in, which means we won’t need additional government and regulatory oversight,” Wiles continued.
But Biden officials say this refusal will make information sharing difficult, as they will have to find other ways to share sensitive, undisclosed information with the incoming administration — meaning only in-person briefings and other restrictions on how said information will be shared. Trump’s team has not commented on whether they intend to sign an agreement in the near future.