Trump's Transition Is Being Funded in Secret

President-elect Trump won't say who's paying for his transition effort, and the secrecy is raising eyebrows in some circles. Most presidents-elect sign an agreement with the outgoing administration that allows them access to federal funds meant for the transition—in exchange for the incoming president agreeing to limits on fundraising. But Trump has so far not signed it; if he refuses to do so, he'll be the first president-elect not to have signed it, the New York Times reports. That means individuals, corporate entities, or interest groups are able to donate to Trump in secret. Foreign nationals can do the same, since the donations are not campaign contributions.

"It's an area where the vast majority of Americans would agree that they want to know who is paying that bill," says one expert on presidential transitions, noting that the secrecy means it's not clear what donors are getting in return for the money they're giving Trump to launch his second term. The president-elect has said he intends to sign the traditional agreements with President Biden, but two deadlines for doing so have passed, and there seems to be no movement toward the agreements being signed. Read the full piece at the Times. (More President-elect Trump stories.)