President-Elect Trump (R) has Not yet submitted a Series of Transition Agreements with the Biden Administration, in part because of concerns over the Mandatory Ethics Pledge Vowing to avoid Conflicts-of-Interest once Sworn in to Office.
As President, Trump repeatedly came under fire from Ethics Groups for potential Conflicts-of-Iinterest, relating to His Businesses and Brands. Both Trump’s and His Family’s Foreign Business ties have also come under intense Scrutiny throughout His time in Office and on the Campaign trail.
Trump and His Transition Team are already behind in accessing Key Transition Briefings from the Biden Administration, as they have Failed to Sign a pair of Agreements to Unlock Critical Information before taking over the Rederal Government in 72 days. The Holdup revolves in part around the Mandatory Agreement over Ethics Issues.
Biden and Trump will meet in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Nov. 13th.
The Process Details are still being worked out with the Biden Administration regarding the Ethics Agreement, which is required by Law under the Presidential Transition Act, and which applies to All Members of the Transition Team. Updates to that Bill requiring the Ethics Pledge were introduced by Trump Ally Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), and Signed into Law by Trump in March 2020.
Trump’s most recent Financial Disclosures as a Candidate, showed that He has continued to make millions off his Properties, Books, and Licensing Deals. He and His Family recently launched a New Cryptocurrency business.
A Sizable share of His Net Worth, is tied to the Publicly Traded Parent Company of Truth Social, the Conservative Social Media Network. Trump is the Dominant Shareholder and said Friday, that He has No intention of SellingHis 114.75 million Shares, currently worth about $3.7 billion.
The Trump Team Ignored a pair of Key Pre-Election Deadlines to Unlock Transition Activities with the Biden Administration’s General Services Administration (GSA) and the White House. Experts are sounding the Alarms about Impacts to Day 1 National Security Preparedness.
The GSA Agreement, due September 1st, gives Trump’s Team Access to Office Space and Secure Communications, among other Provisions. And the White House Agreement, due October 1st, serves as the Gatekeeper for Access to Agencies and Information and lays Groundwork for Trump’s Team to receive Security Clearances necessary to begin receiving Classified Information. The Ethics Agreement was also due by October 1st.
The Trump Transition Team’s main Priority is Selecting and Vetting Candidates for Top Cabinet Roles. It is unclear when and if Trump will Sign the Pledges.
Trump’s Team could have begun receiving Briefings from Federal Agencies as early as Thursday, had they Signed the Agreements, according to Valerie Smith Boyd, Director of the Center for Presidential Transition at the Nonprofit, Nonpartisan, Partnership for Public Service. Boyd estimated that “hundreds” of Trump Officials involved in the Transition will need Background Checks to receive Classified Briefings.
Max Stier, the Partnership for Public Service’s President and CEO, warned of “severe” consequences if the Trump transition continues to fail to engage with President Joe Biden’s Team.
“Is it possible just to walk past all this? And the answer is that it is possible — and we’re watching it happen. But the consequences are severe. It would not be possible to be ready to govern on Day 1 without engaging in Interactions with Agencies about the State of play within the federal government and the world writ large,” Stier said. Transition, He added, is a “point of maximum vulnerability” for U.S. Security.
“A new team coming in walks in with the responsibility of taking over the most complex operation on the planet and maybe the world. And in order to do that effectively, they absolutely need to have done a lot of prework,” Stier said.
When Trump is Inaugurated in January without having participated in these Activities, Stier warned, “He can’t be ready to take over our government in a way that is safe for all of us. It is simply not possible. You will not have the larger team around him that is essential to running our government up to speed and available to enter into leadership positions across our government.”
White House Chief-of-Staff Jeff Zients reached out to the Heads of the Trump Transition effort Wednesday, to stress the Biden Administration’s Commitment to “lead an orderly transition” Process and to Highlight the necessary Agreements needed to move forward, a White House Official sais.
Trump insists that He will turn over Full Control of the Trump Organization to His Adult Children, and focus His Attention on Governing the U.S., But in typical Precedent-Busting style, He refuses to follow the 50-year Presidential Tradition of "Building a Wall" between His Intrtnational Business Interests and His Presidential Duties, by putting those Assists into a Blind Trust.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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