President-elect Donald Trump and Susie Wiles, his chief of staff, meet at the podium at Florida’s Palm Beach Convention Center during the Trump Campaign Election Night Watch Party on November 6, 2024. On Tuesday, Wiles and Trump’s transition team signed an agreement with the Department of Justice to begin background checks and security clearances for Trump’s incoming administration ahead of next month’s inauguration. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 4 (UPI) — President-elect Donald Trump‘s transition team announced Tuesday it has signed an agreement with the Department of Justice to begin background checks and security clearances for his incoming administration ahead of next month’s inauguration.
“Ultimately, this will afford the transition process additional insights, and it facilitates our agency landing teams gaining access to the information they need to prepare for leadership of the federal agencies and departments,” the transition team said in a statement.
Susie Wiles, Trump’s chief of staff, said the Department of Justice agreement would “ensure President Trump and his team are ready on Day 1 to begin enacting the America First Agenda that an overwhelming majority of our nation supported on Election Day.”
Last week, Trump’s team signed an agreement with President Joe Biden and the White House to allow access to key government offices. Negotiations dragged past the traditional deadline after Trump and his team initially rejected signing.
Trump has repeatedly expressed his distrust of the Justice Department and the FBI, with the president-elect announcing his own choice for FBI director and implying plans to fire current director Christopher Wray.
While the transition team has signed two agreements, a third agreement with the General Services Administration to provide funding, office space and technology will not be signed, according to the team, because it requires an ethics agreement.
Wiles said since Trump’s team is privately funding the transition, offices and security to save taxpayers money, they would use “an existing ethics plan” that is posted on the GSA website.
According to the Trump-Vance ethics plan, transition team members vow to avoid conflicts of interest, safeguard classified information, disqualify from lobbying activities and refrain from advising foreign governments, while promising not to misuse their positions and not to accept or solicit gifts.
