A conservative lawyer has criticized President-elect Donald Trump’s plan to bypass proper vetting for his political appointees, calling it a violation of the founders’ intent. Trump has suggested sidestepping the Senate confirmation process by appointing nominees during congressional recesses. Additionally, some of his advisers have proposed using private security firms to conduct background checks instead of relying on the FBI.
However, Gregg Nunziata, a conservative attorney and executive director for the Society for the Rule of Law, warned against these approaches. “I believe the president is entitled to have appointees who share his worldview, and he won the election, but what he’s not entitled to have is appointees who don’t have the character and the judgment to wield the responsibilities of the office to which they have been appointed,” Nunziata stated.
He emphasized that the Senate confirmation process, including FBI background checks, is vital to ensuring that appointees are qualified to hold positions of power. “This is the whole purpose of the Senate confirmation process,” Nunziata explained. “The founders set it up to make sure that a president cannot install unqualified loyalists into positions at his pleasure… cannot put the trust and faith of the American people and the powers of this government in the hands of people who cannot be counted on to wield that power responsibly.”
Nunziata’s remarks came as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer urged incoming Senate Majority Leader Sen. John Thune (R-SD) to maintain standard FBI background checks for Trump’s nominees. Nunziata dismissed arguments from Trump’s allies suggesting that the FBI vetting process could be bypassed.
“It’s not about FBI approval,” Nunziata asserted. “It’s about the Senate having an informed basis on which to render its judgment on confirmation.”
Noah Bookbinder, the president of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, also criticized the idea of private vetting, calling it insufficient and inappropriate. “With a private vetting company, first of all, we don’t know who that is, and we don’t know what their qualifications are,” Bookbinder said. “But more importantly, we don’t know if they are going to be consistent and thorough in the way that they review those nominees.”
He further explained that the established Senate process, which includes FBI background checks, ensures thorough and consistent vetting, enabling the Senate to make informed decisions about whether nominees are suitable to serve the American people.
