Biden team considers legal action to begin transition

Biden team considers legal action to begin transition

President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team is considering legal action over a federal agency’s delay in recognizing the Democrat’s victory over President Donald Trump in last week’s election.

This report produced by Yahaira Jacquez.

President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team is considering legal action over a federal agency’s delay in recognizing the Democrat’s victory over President Donald Trump in last week’s election.

That’s according to a Biden official on Monday.

The General Services Administration (GSA) normally recognizes a presidential candidate when it becomes clear who has won an election so that a transition of power can begin.

But so far, GSA Administrator Emily Murphy -- a Trump appointee -- has made no such determination, despite U.S. television and news networks declaring Biden the winner on Saturday.

It's a refusal that’s costing the Biden team access to millions of dollars in federal funding and the ability to meet with officials at intelligence agencies and other departments.

The law does not clearly spell out when the GSA must act, but Biden transition officials say their victory is clear and a delay is not justified, even as Trump refuses to concede defeat.

Trump has repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that there was widespread voting fraud and has filed a raft of lawsuits to challenge the results.

And other Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, are backing his efforts.

But election officials across the country say there has been no evidence of significant fraud, and legal experts say Trump's efforts are unlikely to succeed in changing the outcome of the race.