Our new president-elect likes to loudly talk about how much he dislikes Washington, but I always thought it was more Washington-as-metaphor that Donald Trump claimed to dislike, what with his ironic promises to "drain the swamp." But it turns out maybe he meant that he disliked Washington literally, because it sounds like he plans on spending a lot of time in New York still, potentially returning every weekend.

To accommodate Trump's desire to maintain his foothold in Midtown Manhattan, the Secret Service is reportedly looking to rent two floors of Trump Tower on the taxpayers’ dime. This is not itself unusual. But what is unusual is the amount of money we're talking about and who that money would be going to. According to the New York Post, if the Secret Service were to pay the going rate for the space they would be looking at a $3-million-a-year bill. And that money would be going to...drumroll please...one of Donald Trump's companies!

It cost roughly $2 million a year for the U.S. Coast Guard to station boats off the coast of George H. W. Bush’s Kennebunkport, Maine estate during his presidency. But in the case of Trump Tower, taxpayers would be paying the president-elect’s own corporation to lease the two floors, aside from the cost of agents, staff and equipment and barriers that are normal in such cases.

Nothing says "fixing corruption in Washington" like massive conflict-of-interest problems and having the government pay you huge sums for the use of your building. The kleptocracy begins!