Trump must not dodge FBI checks on cabinet picks, say two former Senate counsels

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Two former US Senate counsels are urging President-elect Donald Trump and officials not to avoid FBI checks for incoming cabinet picks. “Without nominees being scrutinized by the FBI, the danger is that neither lawmakers nor the public would know whether they are trustworthy or have issues that could compromise their ability to do the job or their loyalty to the United States,”the former counsels —Noah Bookbinder, who served as counsel for Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee from 2005 to 2013, and Gregg Nunziata, who served as a counsel for the GOP members of the committee from 2005 to 2008 — wrote in the newspaper. “Efforts to bypass FBI background checks and even Senate confirmation itself via mass recess appointments, made by the president when the Senate is not in session, never would have flown with past iterations of the Judiciary Committee, regardless of which party was in charge,” the men wrote. “The Senate shouldn’t stand for it now.” It has been suggested that Trump may try to avoid FBI checks for his cabinet appointees Shortly after winning the election, Trump advocated for recess appointments to get his picks in sooner than usual by foregoing Senate confirmation, a process that typically involves congressional hearings.