Trump hasn’t signed a transition agreement requiring the disclosure of donor names and limiting the contribution amount, ‘opening Trump’s team to financial corruption with no public transparency even before he takes office,’ Sen. Elizabeth Warren said

Summary

Donald Trump faces criticism for refusing to sign agreements under the Presidential Transition Act, which mandates funding limits and donor disclosure for a smooth power transfer.

By not signing, Trump avoids donor limits and disclosure rules, enabling secret contributions, including foreign ones, which raise concerns about financial corruption.

Critics, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, warn this undermines transparency and governance, as FBI background checks on nominees are delayed.

The White House confirmed the agreements remain unsigned, with Trump relying on private donors instead of federal funds.

  • KoboldCoterie@pawb.socialEnglish
    1231·
    6 days ago

    The fact that this is optional at all is just fucking wild. So much of our government has apparently been operating on a simple gentleman’s agreement and it’s only stood up because nobody challenged it until now. We’re so absolutely fucked.

    • TheDemonBuer@lemmy.world
      44·
      6 days ago

      So much of our government has apparently been operating on a simple gentleman’s agreement and it’s only stood up because nobody challenged it until now.

      Politicians have been challenging it from the beginning, it’s just most of them had the good sense not to do it so overtly. Trump doesn’t worry so much about that because he’s successfully convinced a large segment of Americans that up is down, black is white, and that he is the messiah.

      • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
        531·
        6 days ago

        If there’s no consequences of not doing it, it’s effectively optional. Just like pretty much all other laws and regulations designed to keep politicians acting in good faith and/or held accountable by the public from stepping over the lines…

        • Nollij@sopuli.xyzEnglish
          30·
          6 days ago

          Related, “If the penalty for a crime is a fine, then that law only exists for the lower class”

          There would need to be real penalties, with enforcement. Turns out we have neither.

          • just_another_person@lemmy.world
            13·
            6 days ago

            The penalty is not having funds released, and in place organizations and workers not being able to interface with the transition team. These shitheads do not care anyway though, because the goal is to ransack the country.

    • Serinus@lemmy.world
      9·
      6 days ago

      In the end, democratic government requires some amount of good faith. You can harden it a little, but there’s only so much you can do.

      The problem is that we have elected someone with so little regard for laws and people.

  • Absaroka@lemmy.worldEnglish
    63·
    6 days ago

    Financial corruption is the entire point.

    You have to assume at this point everything is able to be bought, from cabinet positions to getting your nephew a job in whatever agency you’d like.

  • macarthur_park@lemmy.world
    38·
    6 days ago

    “Masked man with a gun ordering the teller to put the money in the bag faces criticism for risking a bank robbery.”

  • snekerpimp@lemmy.world
    25·
    6 days ago

    Only thing he knows is corruption. There’s no “risk” of it, it’s being done out in the open, and has been done for almost a decade.

    • lemmy_outta_here@lemmy.world
      7·
      6 days ago

      Pretty sure corruption was a literal campaign promise. “Vote for me and I will put my chief donor in charge of ruining your stupid lives” turned out to be a compelling message

  • medgremlin@midwest.social
    18·
    6 days ago

    “Concerns about financial corruption”?

    Really? There’s no “concern” here for anyone with 2 brain cells to boop together. It’s a known, reliable fact, not a “concern”.

    • BranBucket@lemmy.world
      2·
      6 days ago

      It’s a feature, not a bug. Part of the plan all along. If it weren’t for the charges getting dropped, I’d say it’s the whole plan.

  • inclementimmigrant@lemmy.world
    9·
    6 days ago

    And?

    It’s not like the motherfucker hid any of his intentions here and not like he didn’t do the same things during his first term.

    Nice of the lame stream media to finally take notice and publish stories about his blatant plans for corruption now though. /S

  • ayyy
    7·
    6 days ago

    Surely this time he will face consequences?