The General Services Administration (GSA) on Monday night informed President-elect of the United States of America, Joe Biden that the Trump administration is ready to begin the formal transition process.
The GSA administrator, Emily Murphy, in a letter sent to the President-elect, said she had not been pressured by the White House to delay the formal transition and did not make a decision “out of fear or favouritism.”
“Please know that I came to my decision independently, based on the law and available facts,” Murphy wrote.
“I was never directly or indirectly pressured by any Executive Branch official — including those who work at the White House or GSA — with regard to the substance or timing of my decision. To be clear, I did not receive any direction to delay my determination.”
READ ALSO: #EndSARS: UK Parliamentarians Propose Sanctions Against Nigerian Government
The letter reveals Murphy’s formal sign off on Biden’s victory, a normally perfunctory process known as ascertainment. The move will allow the transition to officially begin, permitting current administration agency officials to coordinate with the incoming Biden team, and providing millions in government funding for the transition.
The Biden team has not waited for the formal transition process to begin preparing for the presidency, as Biden announced several Cabinet picks on Monday.
The delay in ascertainment meant that Biden’s team was locked out from government data and could not make contact with federal agencies, nor could it spend $6.3 million in government funding now available for the transition. An official on the Biden team disclosed that the most urgent need was for the transition to be given access to COVID-19 data and the vaccine distribution plans.
The ascertainment letter was sent after Michigan formally certified its election results earlier in the day and more Trump lawsuits were dismissed. Georgia certified its razor-thin presidential results on Friday, and Pennsylvania is nearing certification of its election results, too.
Trump tweeted moments after the letter was reported, thanking Murphy for her work and affirming the decision to start the transition.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1331086969183621120?s=20
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1331013907859845121?s=20
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1331013908971261953?s=20
