Emily Murphy, the Trump appointee whose refusal to acknowledge the election result has prevented Joe Biden from officially starting his presidential transition, is reportedly “struggling with the weight of the presidential election being dropped on her shoulders,” according to friends and colleagues who spoke to CNN. Murphy heads the General Services Administration, the agency in charge of maintaining federal property. She has refused to sign a letter acknowledging Biden as president-elect. While her boss refuses to concede the election, Murphy’s decision means the Biden transition team does not have access to funds used for background checks or hiring new employees.