Washington's swamp gets boggier

US president Donald Trump promised to drain the Washington swamp. Instead, it has been showered with fresh cash.

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Ben Carson and his wife: hard to beat for sheer chutzpah
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Donald Trump on the campaign trail famously promised to "drain the swamp". The swamp critters seem, however, to be as healthy as ever, as his officials scramble to take advantage of job perks while they still have one. Scott Pruitt, for example, Trump's director of the Environmental Protection Agency, has raised eyebrows for his spending on plane travel, including $36,068 for a military jet so that he and his aides could make a connecting flight. When he deigns to use commercial planes, Pruitt "goes strictly first class, lest he be seated next to an irate passenger", says the Los Angeles Times. Apparently, "rolling back environmental protections has its price in rude behaviour from the little people who favour clean air and water, but can't afford an upgrade when they fly".

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