President-elect Donald Trump is rounding out his team as he prepares to return to the White House, but agreements between the incoming and current administration that guide the transition process have yet to be signed.
While the White House memorandum of understanding has been signed, memorandums for the General Services Administration and the Department of Justice remain unsigned, a representative with the Biden administration said on Tuesday.
The agreements help guide the transition between administrations, allowing, for example, the provision of office space and IT services, access to agencies and employees, national security vetting, and briefings for the team.
"The Trump transition team has signed the White House MOU," said White House spokesperson Saloni Sharma. "This will allow for certain, authorized members of the Trump transition team to have access to agency and White House employees, facilities, and information."
President Biden and Trump met after the election and committed to a peaceful transfer of power. However, without the GSA and DOJ agreements signed, the handoff on Jan. 20 may not be seamless.
White House officials tell Scripps News that the DOJ is ready to process requests for security clearances for those who need briefing materials and national security information once the MOU is signed. Officials add both sides have made progress toward an agreement.
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Reuters reported that two transition sources with knowledge of the matter said a hold-up includes Trump walking away from his business interests. The agreements also include an ethics pledge that includes avoiding conflicts of interest.
“The issue is transparency. You don't want any single individual having too much influence over the president's personnel decisions or policy decisions,” said Valerie Smith Boyd, director of the Partnership for Public Service’s Center for Presidential Transition.
