For the first time, a firm that once employed Trump’s Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Attorney General Pam Bondi became the highest-paid lobbying shop in Washington so far this year, underscoring an intense demand for inroads into Trump’s orbit.

Ballard Partners, founded by GOP fundraiser and Trump ally Brian Ballard, more than quadrupled its revenue this year, representing such clients as Harvard University and TikTok. Lobbying expenditures overall have been up 21 percent this year compared with the same period in 2024, according to a Washington Post analysis of disclosure reports made public this week. If the pace continues through year-end, it would be the largest annual increase since at least 1998, according to OpenSecrets data.

Ballard is among several Republican firms that saw busi

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