As President-elect Donald Trump makes his transition to the White House, it’s not just his cabinet picks garnering scrutiny — it’s now also his funding as he’s keeping the donors funding the transition effort a secret.
Trump has not yet signed an agreement with the outgoing Biden administration — a requirement laid out in the Presidential Transition Act that places restrictions on the amount of fundraising cash in exchange for more than $7 million in federal funds for the “orderly transfer” of power.
Because Trump hasn’t signed the agreement, he doesn’t have to work within the confines of the fundraising limits or disclose what interest groups are funding his transition to the White House, The New York Times first reported.
This side-step opens the door for anyone, including foreign nationals, to donate directly to Trump without their identities or potential conflicts of interest ever being brought to the public eye, the outlet noted.
The Presidential Transition Act also puts a cap on the amount donors can contribute: $5,000.
“When the money isn’t disclosed, it’s not clear how much everybody is giving, who is giving it and what they are getting in return for their donations,” said Heath Brown, a professor of public policy at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, told The Times. “It’s an area where the vast majority of Americans would agree that they want to know who is paying that bill.”
While a Trump adviser told CNN earlier this month that the president-elect plans to sign the documents, a timeline was not provided for when that would be completed.
“The Trump-Vance transition lawyers continue to constructively engage with the Biden-Harris administration lawyers regarding all agreements contemplated by the Presidential Transition Act,” Brian Hughes, a Trump transition spokesman, told the Times in a statement.
Post a Comment