A top member of the Trump administration lashed out at what he said were baseless accusations published by the Washington Post on Friday alleging that the Trump administration has refused Biden’s transition team the ability to visit certain military spy agencies.
Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller refuted accusations made by “current and former U.S. officials” who told the Washington Post that Pentagon officials were refusing to coordinate with members of President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team. Miller said the department has been “fully cooperating.”
“The accusation by anonymous sources that DoD has not been fulfilling its commitment to professionally assist any of the Agency Review Teams is demonstrably false and patently insulting,” the Defense Department said in a statement sent to the Washington Examiner. “Stories run in the last day fail to reflect the dozens of interviews and meetings that have taken place and the many dozens more that are planned in the coming weeks — including interviews on Monday and Tuesday with the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Reconnaissance Office, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency.”
The article referred to anonymous sources who said that members of Biden’s team had yet to meet officials with the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and other military-run spy agencies.
President Trump has refused to concede to Biden, whom the Associated Press named the victor of the 2020 election days after the completion of an election that has been marred by accusations of election fraud from Trump and his allies.
The anonymous officials referenced in the Washington Post story said Defense Department officials rejected approval requests from the Biden transition team to meet with federal agencies.
Miller said this was untrue, adding that “the DOD and its transition leadership are fully cooperating with the Biden transition team, placing national security and the protection of the American people at the forefront of any and all discussions.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to the Washington Post for comment on Miller’s response.
