Pentagon: Interim spy agency meeting, Biden transition scheduled for early next week

Meetings between officials with the elected president Joe bidenJoe Biden Biden Says GOP Senators Called To Congratulate Biden: Trump’s Attendance At Inauguration Is ‘Important’ For Country Biden Says Family Will Avoid Trade Disputes MOREThe transition team and some military-led spy agencies are expected to take place early next week following reports that the Trump administration was banning talks.

Pentagon spokeswoman Sue Gough told The Hill on Friday that the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security and the Pentagon Agency’s Director of Transition were finalizing the coordination of the agencies. Department of Defense intelligence, “including the DOD intelligence approval process. agencies in accordance with the White House / Biden-Harris Transition Team statute and memorandum of understanding.”

“The visits are tentatively scheduled for early next week,” she said.

Biden’s transition team declined to provide comment when asked to confirm whether the meetings were scheduled.

News of the talks follows a Washington Post report that the Trump administration was barring transitional officials from meeting with intelligence agencies under the Pentagon’s purview, including the National Security Agency and the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Biden’s advisers have previously spoken to officials in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the CIA, both independent of the Department of Defense.

Transition officials were unable to meet with government staff for days after the Biden was due to win the White House race as the General Service administration refused to certify the election. The body finally made it on November 23.

The delay drew criticism from Democrats and a group of Republicans who accused the administration of hampering Biden’s preparation for office.

Pentagon has also been in turmoil since election after former Pentagon chief Mark EsperBill Mark EsperDefense Relaunches Stars and Stripes Newspaper After Near Dissolution Alyssa Farah Resigns As White House Communications Director, Compromise Defense Bill Offers Reprimand for Germany’s Withdrawal by Trump PLUS was ousted in favor of the current Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller, who is considered President TrumpDonald John Trump Biden Says GOP Senators Called To Congratulate Biden: Trump’s Attendance At Inauguration Is ‘Important’ For Country Biden Says His Family Will Avoid Trade Disputes MORE.

Gough denied that the meetings were banned, but if they were to eventually take place, the talks would take place more than a month since the election and almost a month since Biden was due to beat Trump.

“The DOD Agency Review Team (ART) was not denied access. We continue to work with DOD ART to schedule all requested interviews, briefings and updates, ”she said.