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.

Sometimes a title just says it all: “Party Conventions Are Free-For-All for Influence Peddling,” says Public Citizen in an excellent new report issued today. If you are looking for a primer on the legal loopholes that allow lobbyists to keep paying and partying in Denver and the Twin Cities over the next few weeks, this is the place to go.

For example, it walks the reader through all the many exceptions of the new ethics law, the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act. It’s not ok for a lobbyist to pay for a party honoring a particular lawmaker-but it is ok for a lobbyist to pay for a reception where lawmakers are invited, as long as they follow the infamous “toothpick rule,” under which you can’t sit down to eat a steak dinner, but you can stand up and eat a kobe beef meatball.

Public Citizen says that some of the parties we’ve listed here on Party Time may cross the line into illegality. For example, an AT&T reception at the Republican convention honoring the Republican Main Street Partnership.

Public Citizen, like Party Time, will be watching the party scene in Denver and the Twin Cities. We’ll keep you posted.