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Washington (CNN) – A handful of current Trump administration officials, as well as some political appointees who have left in recent months, have quietly begun communicating with members of US President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team, according to people briefed on The problem.
The rapprochement is a sign that President Donald Trump’s refusal to admit his defeat in the elections and the continuing obstacle to the White House are starting to frustrate administration allies as well. The General Services Administration (GSA) has yet to acknowledge Biden’s victory and begin the formal transition. As a result, Biden and his team remain without access to contacts with federal agencies, funds to increase government hiring for the new administration, and access to classified intelligence reports.
A former Trump official told CNN he views disclosure of the contact as an obligation for the country over partisan considerations. The talks are not as detailed as the formal briefings that would have taken place during the officially authorized transition, the sources said. However, they will at least be able to help Biden’s incoming transition members get an idea of the problems they might face when they take office.
Trump administration staff have offered to help the Biden team transition
Another former White House official who left the administration a few months ago said he personally emailed someone he hoped would return to the Biden administration in a similar role to his and offered to help.
A current administration official confirmed on Wednesday on CNN that there has been an informal approach within the Trump administration to Biden’s team. “Nothing to get us in trouble,” the official said. Just an offer to help. They know what we mean and what we can and cannot do or say.
The official said the disclosure so far has not led to any major talks.
A senior aide from Biden acknowledged the reach of the entire government but declined to comment. Another Biden aide said the help was appreciated and in many cases it was a consequence of pre-existing relationships in specific fields, but noted that it wasn’t as robust as a traditional power transition.
“It takes more than former officials to choose to step forward and help ensure a smooth transition of power,” Kate Bedingfield, Biden’s deputy campaign director and transition consultant, told CNN. “The GSA must follow the law and determine the election results so that Americans have a smooth and effective handover between administrations.”
The obstacle to the transition continues
It’s been over a week since CNN and other news organizations selected Biden as the winner of the presidential election. Since then, Trump’s campaign lawsuits, contesting the outcome in a handful of states, have been repeatedly dismissed by the courts.
However, employees of at least one federal agency have been warned not to speak to anyone on Biden’s team.
Health and Human Services (HHS) staff members were told Wednesday that if they are contacted by anyone on President-elect Joe Biden’s team, they should not contact them and should notify the Deputy Director General for Communications. , according to an administration official.
Secretary Alex Azar also said during a briefing on Wednesday that staff will not work with Biden’s transition team until the General Services Administration determines that Biden is president-elect, a decision made by a person designated by Trump.
“We have made it clear that when the GSA makes a decision, we will ensure full and cooperative career planning and transitions,” Azar said. «We follow the guide. We’re trying to develop vaccines and therapies, get data from clinical trials, and save lives here. This is where we focus as we move forward with our efforts. “
While it is unclear how well the instructions have been circulated in the Department, the directive emphasizes how far the administration would go to hinder Biden’s transition on critical power transfer activities, including issues related to the new coronavirus pandemic.
Former Mattis transition officials contact with Biden
Another former government official who participated in the last presidential transition said that while the official GSA sanction is important, some agencies have limitations on what they can share with transition members, even with GSA approval. There is information in the justice department and intelligence agencies that will have to wait until Biden nominates possible members of his administration and they receive the necessary clearances.
However, the GSA delay slows down the process of obtaining these authorizations. However, many members of Biden’s transition served in the Obama administration and maintained security clearances in the meantime.
CNN previously reported that Biden’s transition teams are contacting former Pentagon officials who worked for former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.
The talks are the result of an inability to interact with current Pentagon officials at this time, sources told CNN. And they come in an effort to develop the transition team’s understanding of what has happened in the Department over the past four years. Communicating with former officials is “the best option,” explained one of the former officials.
Biden will give “a nice change of pace”
Another White House official criticized the general drama that continues to overwhelm the West Wing, even as this administration comes to an end. This person told CNN that a Biden administration will be “a nice change of pace” from Trump.
Another White House official shared this sentiment, telling CNN that he had already sent his resume to potential employers.
– “I can’t wait to get out of here,” this person told CNN.
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