NEW: source familiar tells me Biden transition couldn’t get a meeting with Dept of Defense since 12/18. It follows Biden’s warning the transition is encountering obstruction from political leadership at DOD & OMB, denying incoming admin info in key national security areas
On background to a source familiar: “Despite many outstanding requests, the Department of Defense had, as of early this week, not granted a meeting with the transition team since December 18...
...There are three meetings on the books for this week; one was added today, and two others were approved on the evening of December 23. The Department continues to delay and deny critical meetings and dozens of requests for information.”
Source familiar says Biden team needs to hear more about COVID/Operation Warp Speed, the budget, and cybersecurity, among other issues.
A few more details - on 12/18 Axios published a story claiming Acting Defense Sec Chris Miller ordered a Pentagon-wide halt to cooperation with the Biden transition. Senior spokesmen for Miller pushed back, telling Fox that Miller asked for...
...a "one day pause in DoD transition meetings due to added pressure related to Pentagon budget and CR. DoD spox said Biden transition points of contact agreed to a two week pause in meetings over the holidays."
Biden transition source says the team never agreed to a two-week pause
Given the transition's inability to get a meeting since 12/18, it appears that DoD went forward with this two-week break despite the Biden team not agreeing to it, with today's meeting happening 11 days later
Given the transition's inability to get a meeting since 12/18, it appears that DoD went forward with this two-week break despite the Biden team not agreeing to it, with today's meeting happening 11 days later
UPDATE: DoD spox is pushing back on this - saying there have been many "transition-related" meetings since Dec. 18. A spox tells Fox, "Last week that included a briefing on PFAS to Gen. Austin as part of his confirmation preparation as the prospective nominee; facilitating ...
...a secure, classified video teleconference between members of the DOD Agency Review Team and the Intelligence Community ART; and a meeting between the DOD Agency Transition Director and DOD ART leadership to discuss prioritized RFIs and the schedule for interviews starting 1/4"
However, I'm told the DoD's denial is essentially a workaround. People familiar with the transition tell me: the meetings the DoD is touting happened outside the Biden transition - which has been locked out by Pentagon leadership orders until this week.
TO REITERATE: People familiar with transition confirm **Biden transition has been LOCKED OUT BY PENTAGON LEADERSHIP ORDERS until this week**
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