Trump keeps names of donors funding transition secret in break with practice

President-elect alarms ethics experts by neglecting to sign agreement that requires disclosure of donor identities

The identities of private donors funding Donald Trump's presidential transition are being kept secret in a break with precedent that is obscuring which groups, businesses or wealthy individuals are helping to launch his second presidency.

The president-elect has been able to maintain secrecy over his financial backers by neglecting to sign an agreement with the outgoing Biden administration that would put strict limits on private funding in exchange for up to $7.2m in federal funding for his transition effort.