Trump Team Signs Agreement to Allow F.B.I. Background Checks for Nominees

The New York Times ^ | Dec. 3, 2024Updated 6:21 p.m. ET | Maggie Haberman, Charlie Savage and Jonathan Swan

[E. Pluribus Unum]

President-elect Donald J. Trump’s transition operation announced on Tuesday that it had belatedly signed an agreement with the Justice Department that will allow the F.B.I. to conduct background checks on people Mr. Trump intends to appoint as senior officials in his new administration.

F.B.I. background checks have long been a routine part of transitions. Law-enforcement vetting of a president-elect’s senior team is normally part of decisions about whether they can be entrusted with access to national security secrets, and senators traditionally want to see such dossiers during the confirmation process.

But Mr. Trump, who is hostile to the F.B.I. because of its role in various criminal and counterintelligence investigations into him, had let weeks pass without signing the agreement.

His team considered bypassing the F.B.I. and instead using private investigators. Under that plan, Mr. Trump would grant security clearances to his picks after his inauguration, and the Senate would not have access to the usual vetting materials.

Despite the signing of the agreement, it remains unclear whether Mr. Trump’s team plans to send the names of all officials requiring a security clearance or Senate confirmation to the F.B.I. for vetting. The announcement did not say whether Mr. Trump would require his appointees to undergo the process or was simply allowing the F.B.I. to begin looking at those who are willing to submit to its scrutiny.

[rlmorel]

These Level III Douchebags at the NYT have never read Gary Aldrich’s “Unlimited Access” which discusses how the Clinton Administration handled security clearances.

[dp0622]

I am weak on politics and economics and strategies :)

but I’m not dumb enough to bet against Trump again.

Cleaning up Massive agencies...making decisions on hundreds or thousands of people and hoping that they stay true to their convictions...

I dont want the job :)

[stanne]

He has a conviction. He’s not making it up. It’s the constitution. It’s not hard to follow. Not hard to check people who aren’t following it

He’s not discussing any of it with these people.

First term was to see what dc is all about. Second was to show the people what dems do this term is get it done

People think it’s like the Godfather. It’s not. It’s sun tsu.

[Georgia Girl 2]

That’s too bad. The FBLie is not our friend. Likely because of the DEA nominee’s covid activity which somebody missed and now he’s had to withdraw. Then there’s the Hegseth train wreck which just keeps getting worse. I actually thought that there were private security firms that could rival the FBLie.

[Nervous Tick]

Everything the FBI learns during the background check will be leaked to the NYT.

[Drew68]

Um...this is the Free Republic,right? Suddenly, reports from MSNBC and the NYT are considered gospel?? Folks, we HAVE to do better than this. Have you folks forgotten that we won despite all of their false reporting?

And I suppose Chad Chronister, Kristi Noem, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, and Dr. Janette Nesheiwat are all fake news as well?

I sure hope so!

[Trump Girl Kit Cat]

Hegseth is ONLY a train wreck because the media is trying their damndest to make it a train wreck Pete will be GREAT at this job ignore the noise it will be the same for ANYONE that is NOT deep state!! We MUST plow forward let them SCREAM and SCREW ALL OF THEM!!

[MayflowerMadam]

“MSNBC reporting six GOP Senators are a firm NO on Hegseth”

MTG had BETTER get serious about that list of perv pols paying prostitutes. Hold its release over their heads. Trump’s nominees must be confirmed. We didn’t vote last month to have Trump’s Cabinet made up of a bunch of panty waists chosen by McConnell and his toadies.

[frog in a pot]

Why? Did that happen for Clinton, Obama, and Biden nominees?
What a stupid stupid stupid thing for Trump to do! Sometimes I wonder about him.

Did Clinton, Obama and Biden need the votes with the Dems and squishy Rino's? We know the Clintons were in with the FBI. as it has become apparent were both Obama and Biden.

Trump is starting off playing hardball. Do you think if he had the votes he would be signing deals with the FBI?

It seems likely some of the R's expect something in return for their votes.

[Georgia Girl 2]

HegSeth is not going to be great because first he’s not going to be confirmed. Second his personal life while not criminal has been (and I’m being kind here ) somewhat reckless which speaks to judgement if not character.

There’s enough truth to Pete’s unwise decisions to now allow the MSM to inflate the innuendo and they’re having a field day. This is not helpful to getting Trump’s cabinet seated in a timely fashion.

The guy’s kind of a lightweight anyway which brings the question of why he was nominated in the first place. Now its turning into a zoo. Trump needs to cut him loose and see if Chris Miller is available.

[Georgia Girl 2]

HegSeth is not going to be great because first he’s not going to be confirmed. Second his personal life while not criminal has been (and I’m being kind here ) somewhat reckless which speaks to judgement if not character.

There’s enough truth to Pete’s unwise decisions to now allow the MSM to inflate the innuendo and they’re having a field day. This is not helpful to getting Trump’s cabinet seated in a timely fashion.

The guy’s kind of a lightweight anyway which brings the question of why he was nominated in the first place. Now its turning into a zoo. Trump needs to cut him loose and see if Chris Miller is available.

[Drew68]

Hegseth is ONLY a train wreck because the media is trying their damndest to make it a train wreck

Hegesth's problem isn't that he's a drunk and a womanizer. Half the generals in the military fit this bill.

Hegseth is being opposed because he promises to undo a dozen years of DEI woke garbage that Obama infected the military with.

That's why the knives are out for him. No other reason. The drinking and the womanizing is just how they're trying to sell it.

[anton]

I wouldn’t approve the FBI to run a check on my cat’s pedigree.

[ModelBreaker]

How soon before the first dishonest leak? They will hammer Kash Patel and Tulsi Gabbard.

[ModelBreaker]

“Trump is basically daring the FBI to put false/misleading information in these reports.”

It’s the leaks, not the reports, that they specialize in.

[healy61]

Honestly, only Beuhler would trust the FBI with itty bitty little Peter Strzks running around influencing everything from Hunter’s poop by numbers to influencing the White House.

[Herakles]

This is how all the Russian hokes started in his first administration because the FBI worked through the PTA which is the organization to aid in a transfer of power between Presidents had given all the information to Trump’s enemies and even had started on some false Russian claims and set that up to defeat his administration The. FBI needs to be dismantled

[roving]

This is the third time he has caved.

[MayflowerMadam]

“Trump is starting off playing hardball.”

The Art Of The Deal...?

“It seems likely some of the R’s expect something in return for their votes.”

Wouldn’t it be nice if, just for once, the people we elected did something to help US instead of feathering their own nests?

[Steven Tyler]

...conduct background checks on people Mr. Trump intends to appoint as senior officials...

After Kash cleans the house, the remaining few can check al they want...