[JURIST] US President George W. Bush issued an executive order [text; press briefing] on Thursday that creates a Transition Coordinating Council to head up transition efforts of executive agencies and the incoming administration in the months leading up to the presidential change early next year. The Council, among other things, will:

assist the major party candidates and the President-elect by making every reasonable effort to facilitate the transition between administrations. This assistance may include, among other things, providing information relevant to facilitating the personnel aspects of a presidential transition and such other information that, in the Council's judgment, is useful and appropriate, as long as providing such information is not otherwise prohibited by law.