Has President Trump "drained the swamp" or simply created a new one? The group of lobbyists supporting Trump's re-election is reportedly one of the smallest to support a president in decades, but they may still be among the most powerful, The New York Times reports.
While Trump rode the "drain the swamp" slogan to victory in the 2016 election, the Times reports lobbyists and donors are still heavily involved in Washington politics and are earning big-time money in the process. For example, the Times reviewed congressional and Justice Department filings that showed eight lobbyists and operatives with ties to lobbying firms who are now working to help Trump get re-elected — either in paid or unpaid capacities — have been paid nearly a combined $120 million through their firms for their work advocating before the United States government since the beginning of 2017, when Trump took office, through March 2020.
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