Trump Transition Signs MOU With Justice Department to Allow Background

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This move also allows for security clearances and background checks to be conducted.

The Trump transition team announced on Dec. 3 that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Biden Department of Justice to facilitate background checks and security clearances between the current and incoming administrations.

“This agreement with the Department of Justice will ensure President Trump and his team are ready on Day 1 to begin enacting the America First agenda that an overwhelming majority of our nation supported on Election Day,” said incoming White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles in a statement.

Trump has picked former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his pick to lead the Justice Department. This came after Trump’s original pick, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), withdrew from consideration following backlash to his selection.

Over the weekend, Trump announced Kash Patel as his pick to lead the FBI. Patel is a critic of the bureau. This would mean that the current director, Chris Wray, whom Trump appointed in 2017, will not be retained under the new administration.

Additionally, Trump has said he will nominate Todd Blanche, who represented him in several of his legal cases, as deputy attorney general.

Moreover, Trump has announced he will nominate Dean John Sauer as solicitor general and Jay Clayton as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Trump also picked Emil Bove, who represented him in his New York legal case—where he was convicted of campaign finance violations tied to a 2016 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels—as principal deputy associate attorney general.

The move comes a week after the transition team signed an MOU with the White House.

“After completing the selection process of his incoming Cabinet, President-elect Trump is entering the next phase of his administration’s transition by executing a Memorandum of Understanding with President Joe Biden’s White House,” said Wiles in a Nov. 26 statement.

“This engagement allows our intended Cabinet nominees to begin critical preparations, including the deployment of landing teams to every department and agency, and complete the orderly transition of power.”

The incoming administration has declined to use the General Services Administration, which helps facilitate office space, security clearances, background checks, and other needs for presidential transitions. The transition team has said that it has not used taxpayer dollars.

Howard Lutnick, the president-elect’s nominee to be commerce secretary, and former Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) chair the transition team, which began its work after Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the Nov. 5 election.