Trump’s new chief of staff is a former lobbyist. It will face a number of special interests

WASHINGTON — As White House chief of staff, one of the Susie Wiles The vexing challenges will be overseeing the buffet line of powerful interests who want something from Donald Trump.

It’s a world he knows well. During Trump’s first presidency, she lobbied for many of them.

Trump was first elected on a pledge to “drain the swamp” in Washington. But his transactional approach to the presidency instead led to a lobbying boom that landed allies, including Wiles, with lucrative contracts, empowered wealthy business partners and stymied his agenda after his administration became mired in -a series of influence peddling scandals.

Now, like Trump is preparing to return to powerhis victory is likely to embolden those who think they can catch his ear, raising the prospect that his second administration could face many of the same dangers as the first. That will test Wiles’ ability to manage a growing number of high-powered figures — including Trump’s children, his son-in-law Jared Kushner and billionaires like Elon Musk — who won’t depend on her for access to the president.

Appointing a former lobbyist to such an important job “bodes very ill for what we’re going to see from the next Trump administration,” he said Craig Holmanhimself a registered lobbyist for the government watchdog group Public Citizen. “This time, Trump didn’t even mention ‘draining the swamp.’ … He’s not even pretending.”

In a statement, Brian Hughes, a spokesman for Trump’s transition effort, rejected any suggestion that Wiles’ history as a lobbyist made her susceptible to pressure.

“Susie Wiles has an undeniable reputation for the highest integrity and unwavering commitment to service both inside and outside of government,” Hughes said. “She will bring that same integrity and commitment to serving President Trump in the White House, and that’s exactly why she was chosen.”

The selection of Wiles as chief of staff was the first hire announced by Trump after his victory. Wiles co-managed the former president’s campaign and was widely credited with running an operation that was far more disciplined than his previous two efforts. Even so, she will have her work cut out for her. Although the job has traditionally involved ensuring police have access to the president, Trump chafed at such efforts during his first presidency, when he sacked four chiefs of staff.

During his recent victory speech, Trump called Wiles ‘Ice Dog’ while praising her as a consummate player behind the scenes. She will be the first woman ever to hold this position.

What is also clear is that Wiles, 67, has successfully led stubborn men over a long career in politics, government and lobbying. The daughter of NFL player and sports reporter Pat Summerall, Wiles worked for U.S. Rep. Jack Kemp, a conservative icon, in the 1970s, followed by stints on Ronald Reagan’s campaign and as a White House programmer.

She later headed to Florida, where she advised two Jacksonville mayors and is credited with helping businessman Rick Scott, now a U.S. senator, win the governor’s office. After briefly managing Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman’s 2012 presidential campaign, she oversaw Trump’s 2016 effort in Florida, when his victory in the state helped him win the White House.

Wiles was a partner at Ballard Partners, a regional firm that lobbied for Trump companies in Florida. Shortly after Trump’s election, Ballard quickly established himself in Washington became a dominant playerthat pulled in more than $70 million in lobbying fees during Trump’s presidency, representing a who’s who of corporate America, lobbying disclosures show.

Many of Wiles’ clients were simple entities with obvious goals—General Motors, a trade group for children’s hospitals, home builders, and the city of Jacksonville, Florida.

One in particular stood out that talks about the ways, subtle or not, that foreign interests seek to influence US policy. In 2017, Wiles registered as a lobbyist for Globovisión, a Venezuelan TV network owned by Raul Gorrin, a businessman charged in Miami with money laundering.

Gorrín bought the broadcaster in 2013 and immediately scaled back its anti-government coverage. He hired Ballard to advise on “general government policies and regulations,” lobbying disclosures show. But rather than work with the telecommunications watchdog agencies Ballard’s lobby trained at the White House, which would have little say in regulating a foreign broadcaster in the U.S., Globovisión paid Ballard $800,000 for a year of work.