Trump has quietly installed hundreds of officials, including lobbyists and far-right media members, in government jobs, says ProPublica. The list of 400 Trump administration hires "includes obscure campaign staffers, contributors to Breitbart and others who have embraced conspiracy theories, as well as dozens of Washington insiders who could be reasonably characterized as part of the “swamp” Trump pledged to drain." Read more
U.S. candy-makers are lobbying the government and holding events at Trump's hotels, says the Washington Post. The National Confectioners Association is holding a gathering this week at Trump's resort near Miami and have booked two future meetings at the Trump Hotel in DC. "At the same time, the organization, representing candy titans Hershey, Mars and Jelly Belly, among other companies, is optimistic about scoring big, early policy wins from the Trump administration. Among the industry’s priorities: a long-sought rollback of government sugar subsidies that candy firms say drive up the costs of making their products." Read more
"Ivanka Trump’s landlord is a Chilean billionaire suing the U.S. government," says the Wall Street Journal. Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are renting their DC home from a Chilean billionaire whose company is currently in a dispute with the U.S. government over a mine potentially worth billions of dollars. The home was bought for $5.5 million in November by Andrónico Luksic, whose family is the wealthiest in Chile. Read more
Ex-NSA Director Flynn lobbied for pro-Turkish firm post-election, says POLITICO. On Election Day, Micheal Flynn wrote an op-ed calling for the U.S. to kick out an anti-Turkish government cleric. New documents reveal that Flynn's consulting firm was paid over $500,000 between Sept. 9 and Nov. 14 by Inovo BV, a Turkish-linked firm. Flynn also met with ministers of the Turkish government two months before the election. Read more
Top government official overseeing Trump's DC hotel is leaving. Norman Dong, the head of public buildings at the GSA, is leaving the government soon. His agency has endured "increasing criticism from congressional Democrats for not addressing a potential lease violation and other concerns stemming from the president’s ownership of the project," says the Washington Post. Read more
"Trump screwed his own super PACs," said the Daily Beast. Pro-Trump political groups say that Trump's early announcement of his 2020 re-election campaign is forcing the groups to be more transparent with the FEC and is "weighing them down with paperwork and compliance costs." A lawyer for two such groups said, "President Trump is now a clearly identified federal candidate, and spending any funds to make public communications that could be deemed as being in support of him requires filing [with the FEC]." Read more
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