A letter from the Trump administration on Monday signaled that they will begin the formal transition process for the incoming administration of Democrat Joe Biden.
General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator Emily W. Murphy made the announcement in a letter.
…fight, and I believe we will prevail! Nevertheless, in the best interest of our Country, I am recommending that Emily and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 23, 2020
Trump Praises GSA’s Emily Murphy
President Donald Trump tweeted in praise of Murphy, “I want to thank Emily Murphy at GSA for her steadfast dedication and loyalty to our Country.”
“She has been harassed, threatened, and abused – and I do not want to see this happen to her, her family, or employees of GSA. Our case STRONGLY continues, we will keep up the good fight, and I believe we will prevail! Nevertheless, in the best interest of our Country, I am recommending that Emily and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same,” Trump added.
NEW: GSA letter @GSAEmily to Hon. Joseph R. Biden, Jr. releasing limited funds "in connection with a presidential transition" + lays out multiple threats (family, staff + even pets) to “coerce me into making this determination prematurely” + “To be clear, I did not receive any pic.twitter.com/hfRH7eXKLv
— Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) November 23, 2020
Murphy wrote in a letter addressed to Joe Biden, “As the Administrator of the U.S. General Services Administration, I have the ability under the Presidential Transition Act of 1963, as amended, to make certain post-election resources and services available to assist in the event of a presidential transition.”
“I take this role seriously and, because of recent developments involving legal challenges and certifications of election results, am transmitting this letter today to make those resources and services available to you,” Murphy continued.
“I have dedicated much of my adult life to public service, and I have always strived to do what is right,” she continued.
Murphy insisted she was acting independently and without any pressure from the White House.
Murphy wrote, “Please know that I came to my decision independently, based on the law and available facts. 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.”
Murphy Says She Received Disturbing Threats
GSA’s Murphy said she and her family – and even her pets – were threatened.
“To be clear, I did not receive any direction to delay my determination,” Murphy wrote. “I did, however, receive threats online, by phone, and by mail directed at my safety, my family, my staff, and even my pets in an effort to coerce me into making this determination prematurely.”
“Even in the face of thousands of threats, I always remained committed to upholding the law,” she added.
BREAKING: GSA Admin. Emily Murphy has informed President-elect Biden that the administration is ready to begin the formal transition process, according to letter obtained by @GeoffRBennett. pic.twitter.com/FrjQux2Lbn
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) November 23, 2020
RELATED: Michelle Obama Urges All Americans To Accept Biden Victory: ‘This Isn’t A Game’
Murphy stressed that she is impartial.
“Contrary to media reports and insinuations, my decision was not made out of fear or favoritism,” Murphy wrote.
“Instead, I strongly believe that the statute requires that the GSA Administrator ascertain, not impose, the apparent president-elect,” she continued. “Unfortunately, the statute provides no procedures or standards for this process, so I looked to precedent from prior elections involving legal challenges and incomplete counts.”
Throughout, Murphy emphasized that this was about respecting the law and the “constitutionally-based election process.”
Murphy noted, “GSA does not dictate the outcome of legal disputes and recounts, nor does it determine whether such proceedings are reasonable or justified.”
“These are issues that the Constitution, federal laws, and state laws leave to the election certification process and decisions by courts of competent jurisdiction,” Murphy observed.
“I do not think that an agency charged with improving federal procurement and property management should place itself above the constitutionally-based election process.”
This piece originally appeared in ThePoliticalInsider.com and is used by permission.
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