The deconstruction of the administrative state continues apace, and descends to low comedy, unless you happen to live in federally subsidized housing in the city of New York. Then, it's not funny at all. From the NYDN:

Now President Trump has appointed longtime loyalist Lynne Patton — who has zero housing experience and claims a law degree the school says she never earned — to run the office that oversees federal housing programs in New York. Patton was appointed Wednesday to head up the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Region II, which includes New York and New Jersey, where she'll oversee distribution of billions of taxpayer dollars. Patton's tight relationship with the Trump clan dates back to 2009, when she began serving as the family's "event planner."

This is (again) the kind of thing that happens in autocracies, and badly run autocracies at that. And it's not like there's any work to do or anything.

She also claims on her LinkedIn page to have obtained a juris doctorate degree in 2000 from Quinnipiac University School of Law in Connecticut. Next to the J.D. notation is written (N/A) without explanation…She also listed Yale University but HUD officials couldn't explain why that was there. Patton, who begins her Region II job July 5, did not return calls seeking comment. As head of the biggest HUD regional office in the U.S., Patton will oversee distribution of billions in cash to public housing authorities — including NYCHA — as well as tens of thousands of rental vouchers and block grants that fund housing inspections and senior citizen programs.

History repeats itself, the second time as farce. The third time as parody. I don't want to think about what the fourth time might be.

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Charles P. Pierce Charles P Pierce is the author of four books, most recently Idiot America, and has been a working journalist since 1976.

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