Former lobbyist takes key role in Trump's inner circle - what could go wrong?
Trump picked ex-lobbyist **Susie Wiles** as future White House chief-of-staff‚ despite his old promise to clean up DC politics. Her background raises questions about influence-trading in potential next term
Susie Wiles upcoming role as White-House chief-of-staff puts her in charge of managing access to Trump (which creates an interesting situation given her background)
The soon-to-be gatekeeper spent years as a well-connected DC lobbyist working with various high-powered clients; many of whom previously sought Trump administrations favor. Her new position means shell need to handle requests from the same crowd she used to work alongside
Trumps initial white-house run included promises to clean-up Washingtonʼs influence-trading culture. However his first term from 17 to 21 actually saw increased lobbying activity - which benefited many close allies including Wiles. The expansion of special interests led to:
- Multiple influence-related scandals
- Wealthy associates gaining unusual access
- Problems implementing planned reforms
- Growth in lobbying contracts value
This appointment shows a different direction than Trumps original drain-the-swamp message; with a seasoned DC insider now set to manage his daily schedule and control who gets presidential face-time
