Campaign Legal reports that President-elect Donald Trump is putting the presidential transition process on hold by refusing to sign the ethics pledge, which is legally required for every sitting president.
Under the Presidential Transition Act, Trump and his transition team must sign a document guaranteeing they will dodge any conflicts of interest once sworn into office. Only once the document is signed and sent to the General Services Administration (GSA) can the incoming administration access federal agencies.
The transition, which President Joe Biden promised would be “orderly and peaceful,” sets a tone for the Trump-Vance administration’s approach to transparency, accountability and gaining trust from Americans, something deemed as vital to ensure their duties are carried out with the American people in mind.
The reasons behind Trump’s document stalling aren’t known, but some speculate it’s due to his most recent financial disclosure reports and one reason specifically. Many of his holdings can be considered red flags of conflict of interest, such as his new cryptocurrency business, a majority stake in his Truth Social social media platform, real estate properties, books, and licensing deals.
It’s not just the GSA that the President-elect is dodging. According to Variety, Trump also declined to use the State Department’s secure telephone lines and interpreters and abstained from the FBI’s security clearance system. Because of this, House Democrats issued new legislation on Nov. 19 requiring Executive Office employees to receive FBI security clearances. If not, Congress would be alerted.
Democratic lawmakers and strong Trump opponents like Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) are aghast at his transition team’s refusal to sign the ethics agreemen.
“Donald Trump and his transition team are already breaking the law. I would know because I wrote the law,” Warren wrote on X on Nov. 11. “Incoming presidents are required to prevent conflicts of interest and sign an ethics agreement. This is what illegal corruption looks like.”
Skepticism of the bill, introduced by Reps. Don Beyer (D-VA) and Ted Lieu (D-CA), persists. The imminent GOP-controlled Congress seemingly leans in Trump’s favor. Once Trump is inaugurated back into office, he can give security clearances to whomever he wants, regardless of the FBI’s objections or if the person faces legal charges. The latter is the case with two of Trump’s Cabinet picks, Matt Gaetz for Attorney General and Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense, who both face sexual misconduct allegations.
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