snollygoster
noun
snol·ly·gos·ter ˈsnä-lē-ˌgä-stər 
US dialect
: a shrewd, unprincipled person
Truman and Acheson seasoned their correspondence with perceptive comments about the major figures of the day. Truman lamented that Dwight Eisenhower had given in to congressional "snollygosters"—unprincipled politicians.
Orme Wilson
Orme Wilson
Word History
Etymology
probably alteration of snallygaster a mythical creature that preys on poultry and children
First Known Use
1845, in the meaning defined above