The financial-industry spent $465 million lobbying in Washington in 2009, which was about $8 million more than in 2008.  (The Hill, 2/23/10; Center for Responsive Politics)

• That’s $1.4 million a day spent on lobbying in 2009 and $1 million per member of Congress.
• The top eight banks spent $29.8 million in 2009, 12% more than in 2008. (Los Angeles Times, 02/16/10)
• JPMorgan Chase spent the most – $6.2 million last year. (Wall Street Journal, 4/7/10)

The companies and groups that lobbied against financial reform spent a total of $1.3 billion in 2009 and the first quarter of 2010 on their overall lobbying efforts.  (Center for Public Integrity, 5/21/10)

During the first quarter of 2010, the top 25 banking firms spent $11 million total, up 5 percent during the same period last year. Of that $11 million, the “six leading banks – JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley – spent a combined $6.9 million on lobbying in the first quarter. That marked a 4 percent increase from late last year and a jump of about one-third from the first three months of 2009.” (Washington Post, 4/25/10; Reuters, 4/21/10)

Goldman Sachs spent $1.2 million during the first quarter of 2010 – a jump of 71% over 2009, while JP Morgan Chase spent the most – $1.5 million (Reuters, 4/21/10; CNNMoney, 4/22/10)

“In the last decade, the financial sector has spent more money than any other industry to influence Washington policy — more than $3.9 billion, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.” (New York Times, 3/27/10)

The overall banking/finance sector employed 2,106 registered federal lobbyists in 2009. 1,500 headed to the Hill to lobby on derivatives.  (Center for Responsive Politics, 2/12/10; New York Times, 4/19/10)

• The U.S. Chamber of Commerce deployed 85 lobbyists, including 49 hired from outside lobbying firms. The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association employed 54 lobbyists, including 37 from outside firms. The American Bankers Association deployed 53 lobbyists; the Business Roundtable, 42; and the Mortgage Bankers Association, 29. (Center for Public Integrity, 5/21/10)

“243 government insiders turned lobbyists work for the banking/finance industry. Of those, 202 used to work in Congress, and the rest served in the White House, Treasury Department or government agencies. The list includes 33 former chiefs of staff, 54 former staffers to the House Financial Services Committee or Senate Banking Committee and 28 former legislative directors.” (Campaign for America’s Future, released 5/11/10)

Notable names include:

• Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.)
• Former Senate Majority Leader and GOP presidential nominee Bob Dole (R-KS)
• Former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.)
• Former House Majority Leaders Dick Armey (R-TX) and Dick Gephardt (D-MO.)
• Former Appropriations Chairman Bob Livingston (R-LA)
• Former Ways & Means Chairman Bill Thomas (R-CA)
• Former Rep.Vin Weber (R-MN.) boasts 11 financial sector clients, the most among former members of Congress.

House Republican leaders met with more than 100 lobbyists at a pep rally in December to try to fight back against financial regulatory overhaul legislation. They asked trade associations and companies to write letters opposing the legislation and to use their Democratic consultants to gather intelligence on where members of the Congressional Black Caucus and the Blue Dog Coalition were in supporting the legislation. (Roll Call, 12/08/09).

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which spent $3 million on advertising, including commercials slamming the creation of a federal consumer-protection agency and spent $123 million in lobbying last year, has pledged $3 million more to oppose reform. (New York Times, 3/28/10)

The Committee for Truth in Politics, launched by a North Carolina Republican operative in 2008, spent $5 million on broadcast TV ads opposing regulatory reform. (USA Today, 3/25/10)

The National Automobile Dealers Association, which contributed nearly $3 million to federal candidates in the 2008 election cycle, encouraged dealers to make hundreds of calls to House members to secure exemption from CFPA regulation. (USA Today, 12/29/09)

“The hedge fund lobby, called the Managed Funds Association, doubled its spending during the last three months of 2009, according to data recently released by the Federal Election Commission. The MFA strategically sprinkled more than $1 million around Washington in the fourth quarter, compared to just $520,000 spent during the same period in 2008.” (Crain’s New York Business, 4/1/10)

$25 million has been spent on TV ads about Wall Street and financial reform since January. (CNN, 4/21/10)

The American Bankers Association, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, the Financial Services Roundtable, the Financial Services Forum, the Futures Industry Association, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association and the Consumers Bankers Association spent $263 million on lobbying, policy work, salaries and conferences in 2008. (Campaign for America’s Future, released 5/11/10)