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GAO-17-615R 1 (2017-09-07)

handle is hein.gao/gaobaalcv0001 and id is 1 raw text is: c(AO U.S. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE 441 G St. N.W. Washington, DC 20548 September 7, 2017 The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings Ranking Member Committee on Oversight and Government Reform House of Representatives The Honorable Thomas R. Carper United States Senate The Honorable Elizabeth Warren United States Senate Presidential Transition: Information on Ethics, Funding, and Agency Services The change from one presidential administration to the next is a complex process requiring coordination among many parties, including the outgoing President, federal agencies, the President-elect, and a Transition Team. During a transition, the President-elect and his or her team decide upon more than 4,000 political appointments and prepare to manage the federal government, an entity with more than 4 million civilian employees and military personnel, and a budget of nearly $4 trillion. The Presidential Transition Act of 1963 (PTA), as amended, seeks to promote the orderly transfer of executive power during presidential transitions.1 The PTA has been amended several times as the timeline, roles of government, and expectations of presidential candidates in the transition process have evolved and expanded. You asked us to review issues related to then President-elect Trump's transition. This report provides information on five areas related to the Trump-Pence Transition: (1) the legal and organizational framework; (2) applicable ethics provisions; (3) Office of Government Ethics' information and services related to ethics; (4) funds for the transition; and (5) the Department of State's (State) information and services related to communication with foreign leaders. We compared aspects of the 2016-2017 Trump-Pence Transition to the 2008-2009 Obama-Biden Transition where information was available for each area except the fourth. Expenditure data from the Obama-Biden Transition was not readily available. Information on the 2000-2001 Bush- Cheney Transition was largely unavailable across all areas. To address questions on the legal and organizational framework, we reviewed the PTA and related laws and executive orders to understand the organizational framework of a transition including the role of the General Services Administration (GSA) and other government entities. We also met with the Federal Transition Coordinator, who is a senior GSA official, and an official from the Office of Management and Budget who served on one of the transition councils. 1Pub. L. No. 88-277, § 2, 78 Stat. 153 (Mar. 7, 1964). The Presidential Transition Act of 1963, as amended, hereinafter referred to as PTA is set forth in the notes to 3 U.S.C. § 102. GAO-17-615R Presidential Transition Page 1

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