White House tells political appointees to prepare for Jan. 20 resignation

White House deputy chief of staff Chris Liddell on Thursday sent a memo to Cabinet agencies advising political appointees to prepare to resign Jan. 20 as part of the transition of power to President-elect Joe Biden. "As we prepare for a transition of power, we must take appropriate measures to ensure this is done in an orderly manner.

White House deputy chief of staff Chris Liddell on Thursday sent a memo to Cabinet agencies advising political appointees to prepare to resign Jan. 20 as part of the transition of power to President-elect Joe Biden.

"As we prepare for a transition of power, we must take appropriate measures to ensure this is done in an orderly manner. Traditionally, Presidential Appointees in non-term positions have been asked to submit formal letters of resignation. In keeping with this past practice, all Presidential Appointees must submit a letter of resignation to President Donald J. Trump with a departure date of no later than 12:00 p.m. on January 20, 2021," said the memo, a copy of which was seen by Reuters.

A White House official described the letter as part of the normal transition process. (Reporting By Steve Holland Editing by Chris Reese)