FILL THE SWAMP

Over 80 Ex-Trump Staff Have Flocked to Lobbying Firms Under His Presidency, Says Report

Politico names dozens of Trumpworld figures who now lobby for private interests.

Remember President Trump’s pledge to “drain the swamp” and finally free Capitol Hill from the clutches of lobbyists? Well, no less than 82 former Trump administration officials have now registered as lobbyists during his three and a half years as president, according to a Politico report on disclosure filings. Describing a pattern that the outlet says is essentially a “mass migration to K Street,” Politico lists dozens of Trumpworld figures who now lobby for private interests. They include former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus—who was pictured standing with Trump as he signed his administration’s ethics pledge in 2017—who now heads up a lobbying firm that has reportedly brought in several other ex-White House aides. Rick Dearborn, the former White House deputy chief of staff, reportedly now works for clients including MetLife and Verizon. Some former administration officials reportedly left the White House for K Street so quickly that they’ve already returned to the government.