TRUMP TAPS PRIVATE JET LOBBY EXEC FOR FAA: Trump this morning appointed National Business Aviation Association executive Chris Rocheleau as acting FAA administrator, as some of the focus in the aftermath of Wednesday night’s horrific crash between a military helicopter and an American Airlines plane turned to the absence of a confirmed head of the aviation safety agency. — Rocheleau previously served in a variety of roles over a 20-year career at FAA before joining the NBAA, which represents the private jet industry, as its chief operating officer. Rocheleau had already been in the running for deputy FAA administrator, our Oriana Pawlyk reported last week. PROGRESSIVE DARK MONEY MACHINE REVS UP: “Democrats are launching a tax-focused group as their newest messaging megaphone in an attempt to counter” Trump on one of his marquee policy focuses, our Elena Schneider reports. — “Organizers said the nonprofit group, Families Over Billionaires, will be backed by an eight-figure funding campaign, which will include advertising, rapid response and surrogate operations” and function as a “centralized war room to attack Trump and Republicans during the looming tax debate in Congress.” — “Democrats plan to blast Trump over his effort to extend his own 2017 cuts, which they argue will hand ‘out trillions in tax giveaways to billionaires and big corporations,’ a memo about the group reads, while ignoring his promises to lower costs on everyday expenses.” — The effort includes officials like former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and former OMB Director Shalanda Young, as well as labor groups like the Service Employees International Union and liberal groups like the lobbying arm of the Center for American Progress. MORE NEW BUSINESS: Ballard has disclosed another batch of new clients, including conservative climate group Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions, vaccine maker Novavax and the Fragrance Creators Association. — And UNICEF USA retained Forbes Tate Partners earlier this month to lobby on issues related to foreign aid, according to a newly filed disclosure. The hire came days before Trump took office, and as the humanitarian community braced for the likelihood of steep cuts to U.S. foreign assistance. — Those fears appeared to bear out when Trump issued a temporary freeze on foreign aid as one of his first acts in office, though Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week issued a waiver exempting “life-saving humanitarian assistance” from the 90-day pause. — Meanwhile software giant Workday has retained Advanced Policy Consulting’s Matt McGinley to “educate stakeholders” on the company’s HR, finance and artificial intelligence-powered cloud software, according to a disclosure filing. Workday also retains Monument Advocacy, Invariant and Adams & Reese. ANNALS OF CAMPAIGN FINANCE: The FEC has rolled out its new contribution limits for the 2025-26 election cycle. The commission bumped the maximum contribution limit for individuals donating to candidates to $3,500 per election, or $7,000 per cycle — up from $3,300 per election, or $6,600, in 2024. — The increases, which are indexed to inflation, are much more modest than in 2023, when the nation was in the midst of its worst inflation in decades, sending the individual candidate limit soaring by $400 per election. — The limit for donations to national party committees is rising to $44,300 per year, while the max for donations to Senate candidates by national party committees and their respective senatorial campaign committees rises to $62,000. — New limits will also allow individual donors to distribute more than $2 million across the various organs of a single party — like the GOP’s RNC, NRSC and NRCC and those committees’ assorted funds for things like legal costs and headquarters building, for instance — during the 2026 election cycle. THE BERNIE MAFIA SPREADS: “A pair of former Bernie Sanders advisers who plan to work on the 2028 presidential election are opening a new Democratic consulting firm,” per Holly Otterbein. — “Mark Longabaugh, a top strategist for Sanders’ 2016 campaign for the White House, and Joe Caiazzo, a senior state aide for both of Sanders’ presidential bids, are calling their new company 1788 Media.” — “The kickoff of the company underscores that a new generation of Democratic strategists are aiming to expand their influence. It is the second business to form after the top consulting firm Devine Mulvey Longabaugh, where Longabaugh was a partner, recently closed up shop.” | 
