FBI background checks of presidential nominees, explained

By Chandelis Duster

Published January 15, 2025 at 1:44 PM EST

A seal reading "Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation" is displayed on the J. Edgar Hoover FBI building in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 9, 2022.

Confirmation hearings are underway for key staff positions in the upcoming administration as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House next week.

As part of the confirmation process, the FBI conducts background checks of nominees. FBI investigations focus on "character and conduct" and are completed "as expeditiously as possible," according to the agency.

"The FBI serves as an investigative service provider and does not adjudicate or render an opinion on the results of the background investigation," the FBI said in a statement. "The FBI's role is purely fact-finding."

"Once the FBI has taken the requested investigative steps the report is sent to the Office of White House Counsel or the Office of the President-Elect for their use or follow up as deemed appropriate," the statement continued. "As with any other investigation, the FBI does not publicly comment on investigations."

Here is what to know about FBI background check process:

A 1953 executive order by President Dwight D. Eisenhower established the requirement for background investigations into all presidential appointees.
During the transition period, presidents-elect identify nominees for up to 100 key positions, which must undergo background investigations in order to be ready to assume their new positions when the new administration begins.
The positions requiring background checks include Cabinet members, other positions with Cabinet-level status, and high-ranking members of the White House staff, like the counsels, chiefs of staff and national security advisors to the president and vice president.
FBI background checks include personal interviews and records checks. They also include investigations into a person's residence, education, employment, finances and military service. The agency also looks into a person's marital history and verifies their U.S. citizenship status.
The FBI interviews former and current employers, neighbors, colleagues and others who know the nominee.
The FBI expects to complete more than 1,200 background investigations for positions within the new administration by the end of the confirmation process.
The FBI notes that it hands over the results of its investigations to the Office of the President-elect, which is responsible for providing the reports to Senate members who are part of the confirmation process.