Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) is raising concerns about the Trump campaign’s failure to enter into presidential transition agreements with the federal government, cautioning that the delay could negatively impact the transfer of power early next year.
Raskin — the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee — laid out his worries in a letter to former President Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), on Wednesday.
“Breaking the precedent set by every other presidential candidate since 2010, you have rejected these resources and refused to commit to a smooth transition,” Raskin wrote.
“Your actions depart from well-established norms of the federal government and demonstrate a spectacular disregard for the successful continuation of the essential institutions of American democratic government,” he added.
NBC News was the first to report on the letter.
The Presidential Transition Act directs major party candidates to enter into memorandums of understanding (MOU) with the sitting president and General Services Administration (GSA) so staff can receive relevant resources — including executive branch employees, facilities, documents and national security information — during the months between the election and the inauguration. The agreements also include an ethics plan.
According to Raskin, Trump’s campaign has not yet signed an MOU with the GSA, which was due on Sept. 1, or with President Biden, the incumbent president, which was due on Oct. 1. The Harris campaign has entered into both agreements, according to Raskin.
A GSA spokesperson confirmed to The Hill that it has entered into an MOU with the Harris campaign and noted that “the Federal Transition Coordinator is actively working with the Trump transition team to complete an MOU.”
The Hill reached out to the White House for more information and to the Trump campaign for comment.
Raskin in his letter suggested the Trump campaign may not have entered into its transition agreements out of a desire to circumvent fundraising and ethics rules. The Presidential Transition Act says candidates cannot accept more than $5,000 for the transition from a person, organization or other entity once they sign the MOUs and receive the federal assistance.
“It appears your decision may be at least partially driven by your intent to circumvent fundraising rules that put limits on private contributions on the transition effort and require public reporting,” Raskin wrote. “You may also be acting out of a more general aversion to ethics rules designed to prevent conflicts of interest in the incoming administration.”
“With fewer than three weeks left until an election in which the American people will select a new President of the United States, I urge you to put the public’s interest in maintaining a properly functioning government above any personal financial or political interests you may perceive in boycotting the official transition law and process,” he added.
Trump unveiled the leadership for his transition team in August, which includes top donors Linda McMahon, who served as the head of the Small Business Association during Trump’s first term, and Howard Lutnick, the head of financial firm Cantor Fitzgerald, as the co-chairs. Trump’s sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, and Vance are honorary chairs.
In the letter, Raskin referenced Trump’s comments at the Economic Club of Chicago last week when he sidestepped a question about committing to a peaceful transition of power. During the conversation, he stated “you had a peaceful transfer of power” in 2020.
“Alas, your recent public statements and your conduct four years ago provide cold comfort to the American people, who have sought to create continuity and legitimacy in the transition between administrations,” Raskin wrote.
