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.
Did they miss his first term? He literally ran a pay to play scheme.
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.
It’s not optional: https://newrepublic.com/post/188300/donald-trump-presidential-transition-breaking-federal-law
There just just aren’t any explicit other rules to prevent inauguration. Seems like they fucking should have thought of that.
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…
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.
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.
Everything is optional when you have enough power.
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.
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
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.
“Masked man with a gun ordering the teller to put the money in the bag faces criticism for risking a bank robbery.”
”risking”???
“Risking”
fkn lol
