Donald Trump’s transition team has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Justice Department, paving the way for the team to seek FBI background checks on the president-elect’s appointees.
The agreement, announced by the Trump team on Tuesday, outlines the terms of cooperation between the transition team and the DOJ, marking a significant step in preparation for the incoming administration. It comes after complaints from some Republican senators that the delay in signing the memorandum could hold up the confirmation process for Trump’s nominees.
“This allows the transition team to submit names for background checks and security clearances,” the transition said in a statement.
CNN previously reported that the transition team was using private companies to conduct vetting of potential candidates and not going through traditional FBI screenings for at least some of its picks. It is still unclear how many of Trump’s candidates to lead various agencies and departments will be submitted to the FBI for background checks.
Trump and his allies believe the FBI system is slow and plagued with issues that could stymie the president-elect’s plan to quickly begin the work of implementing his agenda, people briefed on the plans said.
While some key GOP senators have suggested openness to Trump’s Cabinet picks not undergoing full FBI background checks, as has traditionally been done, others have said they’d like to see that process followed.
“As I’ve repeatedly said to you, I believe that we need an FBI background check to evaluate the allegations,” Maine Sen. Susan Collins told CNN’s Manu Raju on Tuesday when asked about Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Defense.
North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer said he would like to see an FBI background check or “something similar,” including a review by “private entities,” and also noted that committees have “a lot of the same investigative authorities” to vet nominees.
Besides clearing the way for possible background checks, the agreement with the Justice Department grants the transition team enhanced access to critical information from federal agencies, allowing for more effective preparation as they take on the challenges and responsibilities of governing.
“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,” Susie Wiles, Trump’s incoming White House chief of staff, said in a statement.
The Trump transition last week signed an agreement with the White House, unlocking key transition briefings and activities after a lengthy delay that stemmed, in part, from the Trump team’s concerns over a mandatory ethics agreement. In signing the agreement, the team made clear it would be doing things its own way, vowing to operate as a “self-sufficient organization.”
The Trump team did submit an ethics plan guiding the conduct of its members throughout the transition period, but as CNN reported last week, it does not appear to include provisions for one key member of the team: the president himself.
CNN’s Betsy Klein, Steve Contorno and Arlette Saenz contributed to this report.
This story has been updated with additional information.
