By Evan Perez, Zachary Cohen, Holmes Lybrand and Kristen Holmes, CNN
Updated 5:28 PM EST, Fri November 15, 2024
CNN
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President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team is bypassing traditional FBI background checks for at least some of his Cabinet picks while using private companies to conduct vetting of potential candidates for administration jobs, people close to the transition planning say.
Trump and his allies believe the FBI system is slow and plagued with issues that could stymie the president-elect’s plan to quickly begin the work of implementing his agenda, people briefed on the plans said. Critics say the intrusive background checks sometimes turn up embarrassing information used to inflict political damage.
The discussions come as Trump has floated several controversial choices for high-level positions in the US government – including Matt Gaetz for attorney general and Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence.
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Article URL : https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/15/politics/security-clearances-fbi-gabbard-gaetz