Trump Signs Transition Agreement with Biden White House After Delays

Donald Trump’s transition team has formally signed an agreement with the Biden White House, clearing the way for Trump to begin his transition to power ahead of his January 20 inauguration. The deal, signed after weeks of delays, grants Trump’s team access to federal agencies and key documents, enabling preparations for his incoming administration.

Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, stated the agreement will allow the team to deploy landing teams to various departments and ensure an orderly transition. However, the agreement deviates from tradition in several ways. Trump’s team did not sign a government ethics pledge, opting instead for their own ethics plan, which includes safeguards against conflicts of interest and protection of classified information, but lacks pledges on financial conflicts or whistleblower protections.

Additionally, Trump’s team has not entered into a memorandum with the Department of Justice for FBI background checks on nominees, nor have they signed an agreement with the General Services Administration for office space, choosing instead to use private funding for transition costs.

While the Biden administration disagreed with some of these moves, it agreed to proceed with the transition process to avoid further delays.