Obama Says Reports About Defense, State Department Transition Teams Have "Misinformation"

November 12, 2008 11:41 a.m. EST

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - President-elect Barack Obama on Wednesday issued a statement saying reports that former Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn and former secretary of state Warren Christopher have been tapped to help with the transition in the Defense and State departments are inaccurate.

The AP said in a report released the same day that Nunn would lead the Obama transition team in the Defense department. It added that Christopher would advice the president-elect on his transition in the State department.

But Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Spokesperson Stephanie Cutter said in a statement there was "misinformation" in the report. She said Nunn "will play an informal senior advisor role throughout the defense transition process," but cautiously added that the former senator's "expertise... will be invaluable to ensure a smooth transition."

On Christopher, Cutter said while he is "deeply respected" across the nation and in the international community, he will have no role in the transfer of power.

"There's a lot of disinformation out there. We're working hard to put the agency review teams together and expect they'll be announced this week and inside the agencies by the end of the week," Cutter added.

Nunn, who was reported to be in the running as Obama's running mate during the campaign, served as senator from 1972 to 1997. He was chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee for eight of those years. He co-authored, with Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN), the Nunn-Lugar Act of 1992, which seeks to eliminate weapons of mass destruction in the former Soviet Union as well as reduce the use, production and stockpiling of nuclear materials all over the world.

Christopher was secretary of State under the Clinton administration. He was deputy secretary of State under former President Jimmy Carter.

The presidential transition ends on Jan. 20, 2009 when Obama, the first Democrat to win more than 51 percent of the popular vote since 1964, is sworn-in as the 44th U.S. president at the west front of the Capitol.