gray eminence (?.)

• Machiavellian
• Rasputin
• Svengali
• access
• bad influence
• behind-the-scenes operator
• big wheel
• court
• eminence grise
• finagler
• five-percenter
• friend at court
• gamesman
• good influence
• heavyweight
• hidden hand
• influence
• influence peddler
• influencer
• ingroup
• key
• kingmaker
• lobby
• lobbyist
• logroller
• lords of creation
• machinator
• man of influence
• manipulator
• open sesame
• operator
• pork-barrel politician
• powers that be
• pressure group
• sinister influence
• special interests
• special-interest group
• strategist
• the Establishment
• very important person
• wheeler-dealer
• wire-puller