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(CNN) – The General Services Administration (GSA) informed President-elect Joe Biden that the Trump administration is ready to begin the formal transition process, according to a letter from GSA head Emily Murphy sent Monday. in the afternoon and obtained by CNN.
The GSA letter is the first step the administration has taken to acknowledge the defeat of President Donald Trump, more than two weeks after Biden was declared the winner in the election and the anticipation for the transition process began.
LOOK: Get to know the government team that Joe Biden wants to make up
The letter indicates that Murphy will formally sign off on Biden’s victory, a normally cursory process known as verification. The move will allow the transition to officially begin, which in turn will allow officials from the current management agency to coordinate with Biden’s incoming team and provide millions in government funding for the transition.
This news comes after Michigan formally certified its election results on Monday and Georgia certified its closed presidential results on Friday. Pennsylvania is also close to certifying its election results.
It’s the latest sign that Trump’s conspiracy-laden legal bid, led by Rudy Giuliani, to circumvent the election result is coming to an end. The demands of the Trump campaign to delay the certification of the elections have been dismissed in several states, as his legal team has not provided any evidence of widespread electoral fraud.
LOOK: The Michigan state board certifies Biden’s victory
Trump tells his team to “do whatever it takes” regarding “initial protocols”
President Trump has responded to the GSA verification, writing: “Our case continues STRONG, we will continue the good… fight, and I believe we will prevail! However, in the best interest of our country, I recommend that Emily and her team do whatever is necessary regarding the initial protocols, and I have told my team to do the same.
I want to thank Emily Murphy of GSA for her steadfast dedication and loyalty to our country. She has been harassed, threatened, and abused, and I don’t want this to happen to her, her family, or GSA employees. Our case continues STRONG, we will continue with the good …
– Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 23, 2020
The head of the GSA had refused to move forward with the transition
Until now, Murphy had refused to go ahead with the verification process, despite Biden’s clear victory, which prevented the president-elect team from speaking to federal agencies.
Murphy, Trump’s politician appointee, has faced intense scrutiny and political pressure from Democrats and, in recent days, Republicans calling for a smooth transition to begin. In a statement Monday, Sen. Rob Portman, a Republican from Ohio, said “so far there is no evidence of any widespread fraud or wrongdoing that changes the outcome in any state” and called for the transition process to begin.
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