President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team is skipping the protocol of using the FBI to conduct background checks, according to a report.
Instead, the president-elect’s team is turning to private companies to vet administrative appointees, people familiar with transition planning told CNN. Trump has criticized the FBI for its slow investigation process and feared it would delay his ability to roll out his agenda.
A security clearance is needed for some Cabinet positions, such as attorney general, and the process of obtaining one includes an FBI background check.
Dan Meyer, a national security attorney, told CNN Trump’s mistrust of the FBI and the deep state has made him go completely rogue.
[They] “don’t want the FBI to coordinate a norm. They want to hammer the norm,” Meyer told CNN.
The Trump transition team’s decision to bypass the FBI background check comes as Trump has nominated former Reps. Matt Gaetz and Tulsi Gabbard for attorney general and National Intelligence director, respectively — both controversial picks.
However, Trump doesn’t have the power to force security clearances and briefings until after his inauguration.
Mirroring 2016, Trump’s transition team is opting not to adhere to protocol by not signing memorandums of understanding and secrecy agreements and sending a list of names to officials of people who need to be formally vetted.