GSA chief informs President-elect Biden that formal transition process can begin

U.S. General Services Administration chief Emily Murphy informed Joe Biden on Monday that her agency has formally ascertained him as the apparent winner of the 2020 presidential election and would proceed with transition proceedings.

The letter effectively ends a weeks-long standoff in which the Biden transition team accused Murphy and her agency of withholding critical transition resources needed for a smooth transfer of power. President Trump has yet to concede the 2020 election.

“Please know that I came to my decision independently, based on the law and available facts,” Murphy said in a letter to Biden. “I was never directly or indirectly pressured by any Executive Branch official—including those who work at the White House or GSA—with regard to the substance or timing of my decision. To be clear, I did not receive any direction to delay my determination.”