After a delay, Trump signs an agreement with the Biden White House to begin the official transition handoff

WASHINGTON (AP) – President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday reached a necessary agreement with President Joe Biden’s White House to allow his transition staff to contact existing agency workers before taking office on January 20.

The congressional-authorized agreement allows transition assistants to work with government agencies and access non-public information and gives the green light to government employees to speak with the transition team.

But Trump has refused to sign a separate deal with the General Services Administration that would have given his team access to government offices and secure email accounts, in part because it would require the president-elect to cap donations at $5,000 and disclose who is donating. his attempt to change.

The White House deal was supposed to be signed by October 1, according to the Presidential Reform Act, and the Biden White House had issued public and private requests for Trump’s team to sign it.

The agreement is an important step to ensure an orderly transition of power by Inauguration Day, and lays the groundwork for the White House and government agencies to begin sharing information on ongoing plans, operations and threats. It limits the risk that Trump’s team finds itself in control of the federal government without information and documents from the outgoing administration.

As part of the deal with the White House, Trump’s team will have to publicly disclose its code of conduct for the transition and commit to maintaining it, the White House said. Contributors must sign declarations that they have no financial positions that could create a conflict of interest before gaining access to the organization’s non-public information.

Biden himself proposed the agreement with Trump when they met in the Oval Office on November 13, according to the White House, and Trump indicated that his team was working to get it signed.

Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, met with Biden’s chief of staff, Jeff Zients, at the White House on November 19 and other senior officials in part to discuss the remaining issues, and lawyers for the two sides have spoken more than a dozen times. in recent days to finalize the agreement.

“As President Biden said to the American people from the Rose Garden and directly to President-elect Trump, he is committed to systemic change,” White House spokeswoman Saloni Sharma said. “President-elect Trump and his team will be taking office on January 20 at 12 pm – and they will be facing many domestic and global challenges, both foreseen and unexpected. A smooth transition is essential to the safety and security of Americans who rely on their leaders to behave and be prepared. “

Without a signed agreement, Biden administration officials were limited in what they could share with the incoming party. Trump’s national security adviser appointed by Rep. Mike Waltz met recently with Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan, but the outgoing team was limited in what they could discuss.

“We’re doing everything we can to make an orderly transition,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters Monday. “And we continue to urge the incoming team to take the necessary steps to be able to do that eventually.”

“This consultation allows our Cabinet appointees to begin critical preparations, including the deployment of task forces across all departments and agencies, and complete the transition of power in an orderly manner,” Wiles said in a statement.

The Trump transition team says it will disclose donors to the public and will not accept foreign donations.

A separate agreement with the Department of Justice to coordinate background checks and security clearances is being actively worked on and could be signed as soon as the White House agreement is signed. The agency has teams of investigators standing by to review the clearances of Trump aides and advisers once that document is signed.

That would pave the way for transition aides and future appointees to begin receiving classified information before Trump takes office. Some Trump aides may hold valid clearances from his first term in office or other government roles, but others will need new clearances to access classified data.

Trump’s team on Friday officially told the GSA that it will not use government offices blocks away from the White House reserved for them, or government email accounts, phones and computers during the transition.

The White House said it does not agree with Trump’s decision to drop GSA support, but is working on other ways to get Trump appointees the information they need without involving national security. Federal agencies are getting guidance Tuesday on how to share sensitive information with the Trump team without jeopardizing national security or non-public information.

For example, agencies may require in-person meetings and document reviews since Trump’s team has refused to switch to using secure phones and computers. For unlisted information, agencies may ask Trump administration staff to prove they take basic safeguards, such as using two-factor authentication on their accounts.

“The signing of this agreement is great news, and a positive step toward a successful devolution,” said Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service. it is essential for the incoming administration to be ready to govern on Day One and is critical to the success of the transition.”