Before she was picked to be President-elect Donald Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles was an energy lobbyist.
As a lobbyist for the high-powered firm Ballard Partners, Wiles represented a number of corporate clients, ranging from the auto giant General Motors to an association of cattle growers in New Mexico. Her clients also included a series of energy and mining firms looking to sway federal policies, according to government lobbying disclosures.
Wiles’ position as the White House chief of staff will put her in a prime spot to sway Trump administration policies that could impact her former clients. That’s a troubling prospect for some government watchdogs who warn that Wiles’ lengthy list of former lobbying clients raises ethics concerns.
“It’s a minefield of potential conflicts of interest to put someone with this background in this position,” said Jon Golinger of the watchdog group Public Citizen.
