The General Services Administration (GSA) has officially acknowledged Joe Biden’s victory and allowed the transition into his office to start.
GSA chief Emily Murphy told Biden that the Trump administration will make federal resources accessible for his transition into office.
Murphy’s letter about Biden’s victory was disclosed minutes before President Donald Trump tweeted that his administration authorizes Biden transition.
However, Trump has still refused to concede the elections to Biden, who is predicted to win 306 Electoral College votes to Trump’s 232.
Trump has falsely claimed that he won the U.S. election “by a lot,” and has spread conspiracies about an electoral fraud without evidence.
Murphy’s letter announcement makes more than $7 million in federal funding available for Biden’s transition.
Reaction to GSA’s acknowledgment of Biden’s victory
“Today’s decision is a needed step to begin tackling the challenges facing our nation, including getting the pandemic under control and our economy back on track,” the Biden transition team said in a statement.
“This final decision is a definitive administrative action to formally begin the transition process with federal agencies.”
In her letter, Murphy explained her actions and responded to her critics.
“I have dedicated much of my adult life to public service, and I have always strived to do what is right. 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 wrote.
“To be clear, I did not receive any direction to delay my determination. 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,” Murphy wrote.
“Contrary to media reports and insinuations, my decision was not made out of fear or favoritism,” she added. “Instead, I strongly believe that the statute requires that the GSA Administrator ascertain, not impose, the apparent president-elect. 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.”
In a Tweet, Trump thanked Murphy “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,” the president tweeted.
Trump furthered that his legal actions on Biden’s victory continue “STRONGLY,” saying, “I believe we will prevail!”
However, he added: “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.”
