Trump team signs agreement with Justice Department for background checks on administration picks

The transition team of President-elect Donald Trump has reached an agreement with the Department of Justice, paving the way for the department to conduct background checks and start the security clearance process for Trump administration nominees.

The Memorandum Of Understanding was signed on Tuesday and comes amid controversy over some of Trump’s picks for top positions in the government.

This is the next step in the ongoing preparation of senior administration officials for the purpose of serving in President Trump’s administration, a press release said on Tuesday.

“This agreement with the Department of Justice (DOJ) 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, President-elect Trump’s Chief of Staff.

Ultimately, this will afford the transition process additional insights, and it facilitates our agency landing teams gaining access to the information they need to prepare for leadership of the federal agencies and departments, the press statement said.

The agreement 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, CNN reported.

President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States of America on January 20, 2025.

The transition said the agreement with the DOJ allows Trump’s team to “submit names for background checks and security clearances.”

The transition had previously resisted using the FBI, which is a division of the DOJ, to conduct background checks and instead indicated it would use a different vetting process, underscoring Trump's distrust of the bureau, the Hill reported.

Last week, Trump’s team announced it had signed an MOU with the Biden White House, allowing officials to meet with counterparts at departments and agencies ahead of the January transition of power.

The transition team missed an October 1 deadline to sign an agreement with the White House to provide for landing teams to begin meeting with departments and agencies.

The FBI plays a key role in the transition from one administration to the next, conducting background checks and processing security clearances for intended nominees and the transition officials, known as landing teams, who go into agencies before the inauguration to get ready, the National Public Radio reported.

The backgrounds of some of Trump’s picks for top positions in the government are raising concerns, the USA Today reported.

Former Representative Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration as Trump's attorney general pick after meeting resistance.

Gaetz was investigated but never charged by the DOJ over sex trafficking allegations, which he denies.

Pete Hegseth, Trump's nominee for defence secretary, was accused of sexual assault but never charged and denies the allegations. He paid a financial settlement to his accuser.