Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md. ), who serves as the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, issued a letter to former President Donald Trump and Sen. J. D. Vance (R-Ohio ) last Wednesday, claiming that Trump has “refused to commit to a smooth transition” by not working with the Biden-Harris administration on the “presidential transition process”.
According to Raskin in the text to Trump and Vance that was obtained by NBC News, Congress passed the Pre-Election Presidential Act in 2010 to give presidential candidates “robust intermediate preparing to help maintain a smooth and effective transition between national services.”
You have rejected these resources and refused to commit to a smooth transition, according to Raskin, breaking the precedent set by every other presidential candidate since 2010. Your actions deviate from well-established rules of the federal government and show a remarkable disregard for the successful maintenance of American democratic government’s fundamental institutions.
As part of the presidential transition process, both the former president and vice president Kamala Harris were expected to reach agreements with the General Services Administration by September 1 and with the White House by October 1. According to NBC News, both the former president and vice president were expected to do so by October 1. However, the Trump campaign reportedly missed both of the deadlines.
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Raskin claimed in his letter that threats to national security might result from Trump’s failure to coordinate the transition process with the Biden-Harris administration.
There are significant potential flaws with that transfer of power, according to Raskin, and a secure and effective presidential transition is “one of the greatest sources of Americans ‘ pride in our country” ” Specifically,’ if the new President and the new Administration are not ready to govern on their first day in office, our nation’s adversaries may well see and take advantage of the situation.'”
Raskin also accused Trump of trying to avoid reporting fundraising because, according to NBC News, candidates who enter agreements with the government for” services and facilities” are required to reveal any privately raised transition funding and adhere to stringent fundraising standards.
Raskin told Trump,” It appears your decision may be at least partially driven by your intention to circumvent fundraising regulations that place restrictions on private contributions to the transition effort and require public reporting.” You might also be acting out of a general aversion to ethics regulations intended to stop incoming administration conflicts of interest.
