White House Redacts Meeting Minutes on the Presidential Transition

[James48]

From http://Govexec.com


White House Redacts Meeting Minutes on the Presidential Transition

“If there’s anything that needs to be redacted that’s a sign that there’s something that shouldn’t be going on,” said New York University’s Paul Light.

COURTNEY BUBLÉ | JULY 21, 2020 03:45 PM ET

The Trump administration has redacted the meeting minutes pertaining to its presidential transition activities, which are required by law, raising concerns from former officials and experts.

As the November election approaches, the Trump administration must adhere to various legal requirements to ensure a smooth and peaceful transition of power if the president is not reelected. Under the 2015 Presidential Transitions Improvement Act, which amended the 1963 Presidential Transition Act, the president must establish a White House coordinating committee and council of agency transition directors six months prior to the election. In its guidance in April on how agencies should be preparing, the Office of Management and Budget noted that the latter council would meet on May 27.

Government Executive submitted a request for the meeting minutes under the Freedom of Information Act and on Friday received a response that was almost entirely redacted. The text under sections titled “Key discussion items from the meeting” and “Key action items from the meeting” was completely blacked out.

(Snip)

Robert Shea, a principal at Grant Thornton Public Sector and former senior OMB official, was surprised.
“I can’t see anything … that’s not in the public interest and that’s worthy of redacting,” he told Government Executive on Monday. “I’m trying to rack my brain as to what would be so secretive that redactions were required. The members of that meeting ought to be public, the general planning on what’s allowed and what’s required under the new law shouldn't be confidential in my view. So yeah, it does surprise me.”



More:
https://www.govexec.com/management/2020/07/white-house-redacts-meeting-minutes-presidential-transition/167073/



Secret planning?

[Frustratedlady]

1. Don't wrack your brain for why anything would be secretive in the Trump administration...

It's all been secret since January 2017...particularly so since Barr was brought onboard. If you want to know something, don't bother asking, as you'll probably be told it's classified.

[Eyeball_Kid]

22. Who was the genius who first said, "It's all about the money."? n/t

[genxlib]

2. The secret is that they haven't done anything

A toxic combination of incompetence and arrogance gives them the feeling they don't have to.

[Laelth]

3. That would be my guess. n/t

-Laelth

[tanyev]

4. There's another reason it's a good thing Biden is the nominee.

Hadn't thought of this before, but the Trump team is going to leave an absolute mess when they do leave. I don't mean the mess they've made of the country, but an absolute literal mess in every government office. No notebooks, no files, no guidance, probably even trash some of the furniture and equipment. Good idea to have a team that's already been there come in and do the clean up.

[calimary]

33. Well, if there's one thing Biden does have experience handling (and remedying), it's a mess

left behind by republi-CONS.

He and President Obama got us through the disastrous bush/cheney leftovers. Cleaned shit up. Fixed what was broken. And handed the new guy an economy that was already well on the mend.

I'd want the White House staff to start doing an inventory of all the antiques and paintings and furniture and sculptures and historic treasures to make sure nothing gets - um - walked off with. Or destroyed out of spite.

DO NOT FORGET: what we've got in here now is a group still loyally following a "leader" who's spiteful, vindictive, petty, and who keeps score. And not afraid to do something to fuck you over if he thinks you haven't been sufficiently fawning and worshipping and genuflecting. To teach you a lesson, as it were.

Well, donald, we've learned a few lessons: like NOT trusting. NOT leaving our flanks unguarded. NOT expecting you EVER to do the right, lawful, sensible, reasonable, honorable, patriotic, or selfless thing that only benefits others and not you. MANY of us learned that lesson a long time ago.

I wouldn't trust him or anyone in his orbit any farther than I could throw my house.

[Texin]

15. Oh, I'd have to respectfully disagree with you. They've done plenty. All to our detriment.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

17. Just as they didn't do the normal transition things when they won back in 2016.

The Fifth Risk by Michael Lewis shows that quite clearly. Immediately after the election all of the federal agencies were primed to receive representatives of the new administration so they could let them know the things they needed to know. It took weeks for anyone to show up, those who did. And the ones who did show up didn't care about the things they should care about, but instead wanted things like lists of employees who talked about climate change in public.

My best guess is that if they lose the election they will systematically gut all the agencies, firing as many people as they possibly can, destroying records, and so on. That will be their idea of a transition.

[Rhiannon12866]

38. +1000!

[nykym]

5. It just looks

redacted. there is nothing under the black redactions, it's all FAKE.

[ffr]

6. Weird, but expected, coming from a WH taking their script from the Kremlin.

If Pence is involved, you know it.

[ouija]

7. No meeting is needed

Because there will be no peaceful transition of power.

[Dios Mio]

9. That's more to the point. Thanks.

[Eyeball_Kid]

24. Well... Who recommended Pence for the job of VP? Paul Manafort!

Manafort was taking orders from Putin. So Pence will be reading the tea leaves he gets from the Kremlin FIRST, then he'll decide how to incorporate Putin's wishes into any of his public statements or behavior.

[machoneman]

8. Being a former VP, the lack of details counts less for his transition.

Now, if our nominee had not been a VP, then the lack of planning and details to be provided would be bad. However, knowing how the OrangeMenace operates, anything they would provide would be short, nonsensical and in crayon!

[aggiesal]

23. Or black sharpie! n/t

[Thunderbeast]

10. Their transition plan is to make restoration impossible

I forsee a plan to burn everything down, causing chaos for the Biden administration.

Just like state legislators in Wisconsin and Kentucky, Trump will use the recent SCOTUS ruling on Executive Authority (in the DACA) case to grab as much as he can. Every Federalist Society lawyer in diapers will be quickly confirmed to lifetime seats on the Federal bench.

[MyOwnPeace]

11. And.....

every single light bulb in the White House will be taken straight to Mar-a-Lago!

[MyOwnPeace]

16. BunkerBoy won't do that.....

because he doesn't read - and he can't figure out how to steal keyboards out of cell phones...........

[murielm99]

19. That did not happen.

It was an untrue and overhyped story in the media that was never corrected, typical of the way the Clintons were treated.

[aggiesal]

25. Yes, and it was propagated through the RW echo chamber as fact ...

And it's still showing up as a true story today.

BASTARDS!

[Eyeball_Kid]

26. That's an old fable. Not true.

It was perpetrated to sew hatred against Hillary, the Clintons, and the Democratic Party. It sounded at the time as if it were a special treat coming from Newt Gingrich.

[niyad]

31. Wasn't that debunked repeatedly?

[Thunderbeast]

32. My bad...taking down post.

[Ligyron]

37. Now I wonder, as do others I'm sure, what ct is referred to here.

Sure we’ve all heard of it though whatever it was. 🤓

[johnthewoodworker]

12. President cat grabber doesn't plan on leaving. Republicans will try and limit voting

and Barr will challenge election results in the states cat grabber loses. Everything will have to be resolved by December 14th, when the electoral college votes. Those 6 weeks between the election and the electoral college vote will be crazy. The period after December 14th to January 21st will be crazier yet. I do believe that it will be cold out in the streets, dress warmly.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

13. Very important to protect all records. The tRump Mob will try to cover up their crimes. . . nt

[Frustratedlady]

27. What I'd love to see would be the Ukraine phone call transcript in the super-secret vault.

I doubt there will even by fingerprints left of that.

[Javaman]

18. I keep saying it but several people keep saying he can't blah blah blah

The orange asshole is planning to fuck the elections.

He's going go do something really horrible to declare the election suspended.

Mark my words.

[MontanaMama]

20. Coincidentally,

he will already have black op cops in our streets to quell any protest. How convenient.

[Javaman]

21. yup.

all the pieces are being put into place.

[bucolic_frolic]

28. "Surprise"? How about "Alarmed"?

Where do we get the hard ball to pursue this? Good government groups?

[Jon King]

29. A mess is coming.

You can see the perfect storm coming. The polls will tighten. Trump saying wear masks yesterday was all the excuse some fence sitters in swing states need to justify coming back to him. Another stimulus bill will send money into the economy propping up stocks. The undecideds I talk to who were all in on the protests a month ago are now wondering if the protests have gone too far off on tangents. I can see them starting to hedge their bets. The few percent in Michigan, PA, Wis who swing elections do not need much of an excuse to once again vote for the maniac.

This is going to be a very close election and that is all Trump needs to muck things up and claim victory.

[MontanaMama]

30. +1

[flibbitygiblets]

34. Here's what it probably says

Ted Cruz: "What the hell are we doing here?"
Stephen Miller: "Some (racist expletive) said we need to make a plan in case the boss doesn't win in November"
Mark Meadows: (Spit-take) "WHAT? Oh hell no! We'll get fired if we do that.
Giuliani: "Relax, you idiots. Our guys in Russia told us the election is in the bag"
Bill Barr: "Okey dokey, meeting adjourned! What's for lunch? Shitting on the law makes me HUNGRY!"

[bucolic_frolic]

35. Secret planning - DeVos: How can you plan for something that hasn't happened yet?

[bucolic_frolic]

36. This should be treated as a budding coup d'etat. However you treat that. Sedition I would suspect.

[ecstatic]

39. My guess? Toddler n Chief had a meltdown which consisted of putting

his fingers in his ears, stomping, and insisting that there's no way "sleepy Joe" will win. The committee discussed the meltdown, but clearly couldn't leave that tidbit in the minutes. lol. smh

[live love laugh]

40. The hidden part probably says

“What translation? Fuck You!” 🖕🏼


Over and over ...