DOD hides behind GSA foot-dragging:
https://insidedefense.com/insider/dod-holding-biden-transition | Nov 9 2020
The Defense Department has had no contact with the Biden transition team and will not until the Government Services Administration greenlights the process, according to a Pentagon official.
At present, the results of the election are still being disputed by President Trump and the GSA has not yet signed the paperwork necessary to begin the process to transition to President-elect Joe Biden's new administration.
"DOD is following statutory direction for supporting a potential presidential transition directly in accordance with the President Transition Act," the Pentagon official said. "The Act requires ascertainment of the candidate to receive transition assistance by the administrator of GSA. That has not occurred and is not a DOD responsibility. . . . DOD has had no contact with transition teams from either campaign and will not until notified by the GSA Administrator."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-gsa-letter-biden-transition/2020/11/08/07093acc-21e9-11eb-8672-c281c7a2c96e_story.html
No paywall -
https://archive.ph/HfGpV | Nov 9 2020
A Trump administration appointee is refusing to sign a letter allowing President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team to formally begin its work this week, in another sign the incumbent president has not acknowledged Biden’s victory and could disrupt the transfer of power.
The administrator of the General Services Administration, the low-profile agency in charge of federal buildings, has a little-known role when a new president is elected: to sign paperwork officially turning over millions of dollars, as well as give access to government officials, office space in agencies and equipment authorized for the taxpayer-funded transition teams of the winner.
It amounts to a formal declaration by the federal government, outside of the media, of the winner of the presidential race.
But by Sunday evening, almost 36 hours after media outlets projected Biden as the winner, GSA Administrator Emily Murphy had written no such letter. And the Trump administration, in keeping with the president’s failure to concede the election, has no immediate plans to sign one. This could lead to the first transition delay in modern history, except in 2000, when the Supreme Court decided a recount dispute between Al Gore and George W. Bush in December.
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/emily-murphy-why-many-people-210808667.html | Nov 18 2020
But the GSA as a whole has not explained the decision to refuse to recognize Biden, despite the fact that it is supposed to be an apolitical decision, simply facilitating the will of voters across the country. Murphy, too, has yet to comment publicly about her failure to acknowledge Biden’s win in the presidential election. Transition officials for Biden have called on the Trump administration appointee to end what they are calling an unwarranted obstruction, but Murphy still won’t budge, reports The New York Times. [snip]
It should also be noted that Murphy’s actions are completely unprecedented: Past GSA administrators have typically issued a letter of ascertainment within hours of the election being called so that the incoming administration can get to work setting up a new government. Even with legal challenges and recounts, every other presidential race for the past 60 years has formally determined the winner within 24 hours. It’s already been almost two weeks.
Emily Murphy finally signed the letter of ascertainment on November 23. Jerk.
https://www.abc10.com/article/news/nation-world/emily-murphy-gsa-signs-off-biden-transition/507-7bd7213a-d31b-43e8-ace3-4a96a54f44aa
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