President-elect Donald Trump is keeping secret the names of the donors who are funding his transition effort — potentially making it impossible to see which interest groups, businesses or wealthy people are helping him jump-start his second term.
Trump has so far declined to sign a legally required ethics pledge that, in exchange for up to $7.2 million in federal funds earmarked for the transition, would impose strict limits on fund-raising.
By dodging the agreement, Trump can raise unlimited amounts of money from unknown donors to pay for the staff, the travel and the office space involved in preparations to take control of the U.S. government on Jan. 20, 2025.
