<SYSTEM_TASK:>
Solve the following problem using Python, implementing the functions described below, one line at a time
<END_TASK>
<USER_TASK:>
Description:

def _clean_data(api_response):
    '''
    Returns the DATA response from a Linode API query as a single pre-formatted dictionary

    api_response
        The query to be cleaned.
    '''
    data = {}
    data.update(api_response['DATA'])

    if not data:
        response_data = api_response['DATA']
        data.update(response_data)

    return data