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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 24 November 2020
GOP senator, business leaders urge prompt Biden transition

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pres- Biden also plans to nomi-
sure is increasing on a nate veteran diplomat Ant-
Trump administration of- ony Blinken as his secretary
ficial to authorize a formal of state, according to mul-
transition process for Presi- tiple people familiar with
dent-elect Joe Biden. the Biden team's planning.
Republican Sen. Rob Port- House Democrats said in a
man of Ohio on Monday letter to Murphy last week
called for the head of the that Murphy's refusal to
General Services Admin- begin transition activities
istration to release money required by law is having
and staffing needed for the "grave effects." Those ef-
transition. fects include "undermining
Portman, a senior member the orderly transfer of pow-
of the Senate Homeland er, impairing the incoming
Security and Governmen- administration's ability to
tal Affairs Committee, also respond to the coronavirus
said Biden should receive pandemic, hampering its
high-level briefings on na- ability to address our na-
tional security and the tion's dire economic crisis,
coronavirus vaccine distri- and endangering our na-
bution plan. tional security," Democrats
Meanwhile, more than 160 say.
business leaders asked GSA In this June 21, 2019 file photo, General Services Administration Administrator Emily Murphy speaks Two House committees,
chief Emily Murphy to im- during a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Department of Homeland Security's St. Elizabeths Cam- Oversight and Appropria-
mediately acknowledge pus Center Building in Washington. tions, are seeking an imme-
Biden as president-elect Associated Press diate briefing with Murphy
and begin the transition to help lawmakers decide
to a new administration. letter were Jon Gray, presi- man Sachs; and George H. for national security and whether to call Murphy
"Withholding resources and dent of the Blackstone Walker, CEO of the invest- foreign policy roles. Former and other officials to testify
vital information from an private equity firm; Rob- ment firm Neuberger Ber- Secretary of State John at a public hearing.
incoming administration ert Bakish, president and man and a second cousin Kerry will lead the incom- Murphy, who was appoint-
puts the public and eco- CEO of ViacomCBS Inc.; to former President George ing administration's effort to ed by President Donald
nomic health and security Henry Kravis, the co-chief W. Bush. combat climate change, Trump, has yet to certify
of America at risk,'' the busi- executive of Kohlberg Kra- The renewed calls for an while Alejandro Mayor- Biden as the winner of the
ness letters said in an open vis Roberts & Co., another official transition came as kas will be nominated as presidential election, stall-
letter to Murphy. private equity giant; David Biden is building out his ad- Homeland Security secre- ing the process of officially
Among those signing the Solomon, CEO at Gold- ministration with key picks tary. launching the transition.q

Trump campaign legal team distances itself from Powell

By ERIC TUCKER campaign and Powell did her approach even within
WASHINGTON (AP) — Per- not immediately return an some conservative circles.
haps Sidney Powell has email seeking comment. Fox News host Tucker Carl-
gone too far for even Rudy The statement hints at fur- son said on his show last
Giuliani this time. ther tumult for a legal team week that his team had
The Trump campaign's le- that has lost case after asked Powell for evidence
gal team moved to dis- case in contested states as to support her claims, but
tance itself Sunday from it works to overturn the re- that Powell had provided
the firebrand conservative sults of the Nov. 3 election. none.
attorney after a tumultuous Law firms have withdrawn Powell made headlines
several days in which Pow- from cases, and in the latest with her statements at a
ell made multiple incor- blow, a federal judge dis- Thursday news conference
rect statements about the missed on Saturday night where, joined by Giuliani
voting process, unspooled the Trump campaign's ef- and Ellis, she incorrectly
unsupported and complex fort to block the certifica- suggested that a server
conspiracy theories and tion of votes in Pennsylva- hosting evidence of voting Former Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani, left, listens to Sidney
Powell, both lawyers for President Donald Trump, during a news
vowed to "blow up" Geor- nia in a blistering ruling that irregularities was located in conference at the Republican National Committee headquar-
gia with a "biblical" court described the arguments Germany, that voting soft- ters, Thursday Nov. 19, 2020, in Washington.
filing. as "strained" and "unsup- ware used by Georgia and Associated Press
"Sidney Powell is practicing ported by evidence." other states was created at
law on her own. She is not Trump had heralded Pow- the direction of late Ven- Brian Kemp, and its Repub- Kemp and the secretary
a member of the Trump Le- ell's role as one of his law- ezuelan President Hugo lican secretary of state of of state need to go with it,"
gal Team. She is also not a yers, tweeting on Novem- Chavez and that votes for being part of a conspiracy she said, later adding that
lawyer for the President in ber 14 that she was part of Trump had probably been involving a voting-system a court filing she hoped to
his personal capacity," Giu- a team of "wonderful law- switched in favor of Presi- contract award that she submit this week involving
liani and another lawyer for yers and representatives" dent-elect Joe Biden. contends harmed Trump's the state would be "bibli-
Trump, Jenna Ellis, said in a spearheaded by Giuliani. In a subsequent interview reelection bid. cal."
statement. But the terse Sunday eve- with Newsmax, she ap- "Georgia's probably go- The status of that law-
There was no immedi- ning statement was the peared to accuse Geor- ing to be the first state I'm suit was unclear Sunday
ate clarification from the latest sign of wariness over gia's Republican governor, going to blow up and Mr. night.q