cleveland win presidency republican presidential nominee donald trump would seek purge federal government officials appoint democratic president barack obama could ask congress pass legislation make easy fire public workers trump ally chris christie say tuesday christie governor new jersey lead trump white house transition team say campaign draw list federal government employees fire trump defeat democratic rival hillary clinton nov. presidential election know career donald like fire people christie tell closed-door meet dozens donors republican national convention cleveland accord audio record obtain reuters two participants meet christie refer trump star role long-running television show apprentice catch-phrase fire trump campaign respond request comment trump transition advisers fear obama may convert appointees civil servants job security officials politically appoint would allow officials keep job new possibly republican administration christie say call burrow christie say take political appointee side civil service side order try set ... roadblocks successor kind like clinton people take ws keyboard george bush come white house christie refer prank commit presidential transition bill clinton george w. bush 2001. period white house staffers remove key computer keyboards leave derogatory sign stickers offices accord report general account office investigative arm congress one things suggest donald immediately ask republican congress change civil service laws make lot easy fire people christie say say fire civil servants cumbersome time-consuming christie also say change leadership environmental protection agency long target republicans concern regulation would top priority trump win november trump previously vow eliminate epa roll back america ambitious environmental policies action say would revive u.s. oil coal industries bolster national security christie add trump team want let businesspeople serve government part time without give job private sector trump frequently say good equip president business experience although christie repeatedly ask meet decline name potential cabinet pick say trump ready yet respond christie comment target political appointees wednesday white house spokesman josh earnest say allow appointees apply career civil service position longstanding precedent want stack ethical record president obama political appointees ethical record compile governor christie political appointees welcome kind comparison say american federation government employees large federal employee union unite state say concern practice burrow current law protect federal employees fire federal government serious undertake reality tv show fire say jacqueline simon policy director afge want hire anybody political reason want anybody fire political reason say march 2016 total 3,164 political appointees 852 presidential appointees recent report topic government accountability office say 2010 143 former political appointees congressional employees convert career position may 2005 may 30 2009. republican-controlled house representatives oversight government reform committee investigate practice burrow send letter date wednesday 23 federal departments agencies ask document case burrow occur since sept. 2015. exclusive trump could seek new law purge government obama appointees