A new report out from Public Citizen uses the Party Time database to show that lobbyists and lobbying firms representing top TARP recipients and financial banking associations scheduled at least 70 parties since the last election day through the end of June. They also doled out some $6 million in campaign contributions over the same time period.

Some of the juiciest findings include:

• Lobbyists who represent the U.S. Chamber of Commerce hosted 35 of the scheduled fundraisers, more than any other group. Lobbyists who represent the American Bankers Association hosted 21 scheduled fundraisers. Lobbyists who represent Citigroup, a company that is about one-third owned by U.S. taxpayers, were the third most frequent hosts, with 15 scheduled fundraisers.
• Forty-eight current members of Congress, plus the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, were beneficiaries of the scheduled fundraisers. Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.) and Rep. Paul Ryan, (R-Wis.) were the beneficiaries of the most scheduled fundraisers, with four each. The House Ways & Means Committee had 10 beneficiaries, the most members in the study for any committee. The Senate banking committee had the most members honored in that chamber, with seven.
• Collectively, lobbyists for the Podesta Group were scheduled to host at least 14 fundraisers, more than those for any other lobbying firm, and made $82,150 in federal contributions in the time period covered in this study. Lobbyist Anthony Podesta scheduled at least 10 fundraisers at his house, according to three invitations (here, here, and here) that referenced events slated to take place between March 25, 2009, and June 17, 2009. Podesta has lobbied Congress on financial services provisions on behalf of a division of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

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