Joe Biden’s team is considering legal action over the ongoing refusal to grant the president-elect a formal transition into the White House, according to reports.
Amid President Trump’s refusal to concede the election, the federal agency needed to greenlight his transition has also held back from declaring him the victor — a move usually made within 24-hours.
The delay by the General Services Administration (GSA) freezes the Biden team out of access to $6.3 million in federal funding, classified information and security clearances or background checks for potential cabinet nominees, Axios noted. It also prevents access to the State Department, which facilitates calls between foreign leaders, Fox News said.
“There’s a number of levers on the table and all options are certainly available,” a Biden transition official told reporters.
Legal action is “certainly a possibility,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, according to the Associated Press.
“It’s a changing situation and certainly rather fluid,” added the official, according to Axios.
Trump is not expected to formally concede but is likely to vacate the White House at the end of his term, several people around him told the AP.
A GSA spokesperson told the wire service late Monday that an “ascertainment” on the winner of the election had not yet been made.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell insisted at the Senate Monday that “our institutions are actually built for this” kind of challenge.
“We have the system in place to consider concerns and President Trump is 100% within his rights to look into allegations of irregularities and weigh his legal options,” the Republican said.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer countered that the Republicans’ refusal to accept the election results was “extremely dangerous, extremely poisonous to our democracy.”
“Joe Biden won the election fair and square,” Schumer said.
With Post Wires
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