To: Ethics Committee, Acting Justices, American Citizens
The Ethics of the American People
As of today 11/26/2024 Donald Trump President Elect for the 2024 Election still has not signed the Ethics documents required for a Transition of power from current President Joe Biden.
The documents needed to be signed:
Presidential Transition Act: a memorandum of understanding with the General Services Administration and another with the White House.
The documents needed to be signed:
Presidential Transition Act: a memorandum of understanding with the General Services Administration and another with the White House.
The GSA agreement would offer the transition team office space, IT services and facilities, and the White House agreement would allow transition team access to employees and documents of federal agencies
Why is this important?
It requires Trump and his transition staff to pledge they will avoid conflicts of interest once sworn into office.
Trump's transition team was required to submit the ethics pledge by Oct. 1, according to the 1963 law that provides transition funding.
The Trump transition team's leadership has privately drafted their own ethics document and a conflict-of-interest statement governing its staff, sources said.
Trump's transition team was required to submit the ethics pledge by Oct. 1, according to the 1963 law that provides transition funding.
The Trump transition team's leadership has privately drafted their own ethics document and a conflict-of-interest statement governing its staff, sources said.
The documents do not meet the requirements of the transition law and do not include language that explains how Trump will address conflicts of interest during his presidency, sources with knowledge of the transition said.
Not signing the documents also means the president does not have to disclose the names of private donors, who are funding his transition, and can raise unlimited amounts of cash from them to fund his return to the White House. The transition law requires these names be disclosed and caps such donations at $5,000.
The president is exempted from conflict of interest laws because he oversees too many areas to make enforcement practical, ethics experts said. The system relies on a president's good-faith effort to separate his personal interests from the country's when he takes office.
The Trump transition team has not entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Justice to allow the FBI to conduct background checks of nominees, and it hasn't sent the FBI the names of prospective national security personnel who would have access to classified information, one of the sources said.
Not signing the documents also means the president does not have to disclose the names of private donors, who are funding his transition, and can raise unlimited amounts of cash from them to fund his return to the White House. The transition law requires these names be disclosed and caps such donations at $5,000.
The president is exempted from conflict of interest laws because he oversees too many areas to make enforcement practical, ethics experts said. The system relies on a president's good-faith effort to separate his personal interests from the country's when he takes office.
The Trump transition team has not entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Justice to allow the FBI to conduct background checks of nominees, and it hasn't sent the FBI the names of prospective national security personnel who would have access to classified information, one of the sources said.
The transition is reportedly using private firms to vet candidates, leaving open the possibility that federal law enforcement may never properly review Trump appointees.
Circumventing background checks would be bucking a long-established norm in Washington, but the president has the final authority on whom he nominates and picks to conduct background checks
If President Elect Trump does not sign the documents, then he should be held accountable by the American People.
Just like any business, or leader they need to held accountable for their actions. Not signing this agreement gives him free rein to harm the American people in numerous ways.
We the American people will file a civil lawsuit against President Elect Donald Trump for failing to uphold the law and protect the American people.