FLYING IN: JetBlue’s flight attendants and pilots’ unions are hitting the Hill this week to help sell the airline’s proposed merger with Spirit Airlines by demonstrating labor support for the deal in the midst of the Biden administration’s moves to unwind it. — Last week, the Justice Department wrapped up its case in a federal antitrust trial seeking to block the merger, while Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said earlier this month that his department plans to look more closely at competition within the transportation sector. JetBlue crewmembers are set to meet with more than 50 members on both sides of the aisle in the House and Senate to register their concerns with that stance. — The Travel Technology Association kicked off a fly-in today as well, with members set to meet with lawmakers or staff from the Senate Commerce and House Transportation and Infrastructure committees. The trade group planned to tout the virtues of global distribution systems, which travel agents and online travel sites like Expedia and Priceline use to compare flight options and purchase tickets. — Meanwhile half a dozen collegiate athletic conference commissioners took time out of their conference championship week on Tuesday to implore lawmakers to pass federal NIL legislation. Jim Phillips of the Atlantic Coast Conference, Tony Petitti of the Big Ten, Brett Yormark of the Big 12, Greg Sankey of the Southeastern Conference, Jacqie McWilliams of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Sonja Stills of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Anthony Holloman of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and Charles McClelland of the Southwestern Athletic Conference met with members of both parties’ leadership as well as those putting together an NIL bill. DEPT. OF HOLDING YOUR NOSE: “Republican mega-donor Bernie Marcus said on Tuesday he would likely still give money to Donald Trump's 2024 presidential bid if the former president was convicted of a crime - but the billionaire does not plan to be one of his biggest financial backers,” the Home Depot co-founder told Reuters’ Alexandra Ulmer. — “Trump faces four criminal cases, including state and federal charges stemming from his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. Trump, 77, denies any wrongdoing and has pleaded not guilty in all four cases. … Asked in an interview with Reuters whether he would still support Trump if he were convicted, Marcus replied, ‘I think so. Because I think it's all trumped up.’” — “Marcus, 94, who supported Trump's White House runs in 2016 and 2020, said he had spoken to the former president recently. ‘I never discussed his legal fees or his legal problems,’ Marcus said, adding that Trump was ‘very happy’ about his support.” — “Marcus would not be drawn into specifics of his donations this time around, saying only he would support Trump in the primary and in the general election against Biden in November 2024, should Trump be the nominee. However, Marcus cautioned he would not be a major financial supporter. ‘Of course, I'm going to support him to some extent, but I'm not one of his big givers, that's for sure,’ Marcus said.” — “The billionaire said he also liked Republican presidential candidates Nikki Haley, a former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina governor, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, but did not think they could beat Trump in the nominating contest.” ICYMI — ANOTHER PAYDAY FOR LEO’S FIRM: “Conservative judicial activist Leonard Leo’s consulting firm received $21 million in 2022 from a group that is a pillar of Leo’s aligned nonprofit network,” POLITICO’s Hailey Fuchs and Heidi Przybyla report. — “That group, The 85 Fund, is part of an umbrella of nonprofits under investigation by the Washington, D.C. attorney general for potentially violating tax laws. Carrie Severino, a former law clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas, is a director of the group.” — Tax filings obtained by liberal watchdog group Accountable.US, show “that last year, The 85 Fund’s highest paid contractor was CRC Advisors, the for-profit firm where Leo is chairman.” — “The revelation comes as D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb is looking into the finances and expenditures associated with The 85 Fund and as Leo faces enhanced congressional scrutiny for his role in bolstering the conservative legal movement. This includes gifts he may have arranged to Supreme Court justices after reports that he assisted in setting up a gift for Justice Samuel Alito.” — “After CRC, the next-highest paid contractor is $1.4 million to the Valentine Group, described as an educational advocacy group. The third-highest paid contractor is a group registered to the home address of Leo’s friend, Ronald Cass, called the Center for the Rule of Law. Leo was the best man at Cass’ wedding and Cass was a longtime friend of Justice Antonin Scalia. Cass’ daughter is slated to clerk for Alito.” IN MEMORIAM: The National Business Aviation Association on Tuesday announced that Selena Shilad, executive director for the Alliance for Aviation Across America, died on Nov. 24. She was 45. The non-profit AAAA started in 2007 to raise awareness of general aviation and small airports with local businesses, organizations and leaders, which Shilad engaged in “every single day,” said AAAA chair Ed Bolen. “Our entire industry is stronger and better for her efforts and having known her,” Bolen said. YOU'VE GOT MAIL: The financial services coalition fighting to head off credit card swipe fee legislation says its campaign against the bill from Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) has resulted in more than one million letters sent to members of Congress expressing opposition to the bill. — The Electronic Payments Coalition, which represents banks, credit unions and credit card providers, has argued that the swipe fees bill would disproportionately benefit big box retailers while jeopardizing credit card rewards programs, while retailers say credit card companies Visa and Mastercard wield too much leverage over the transaction fees. — "More than one million letters have been sent to Senators and Representatives to oppose the Durbin-Marshall bill because Americans see it for what it is – a massive payout for corporate mega-stores like Walmart and Target at the expense of consumer protections and access to credit as well as jeopardizing the rewards programs millions of American families use to reduce the cost of goods like groceries and gas,” EPC head Richard Hunt said in a statement. “Simply put, Americans depend on their credit cards, and they don’t need politicians to restructure the entire U.S. payments system.”
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