Financial Services Firms and Campaign Donations - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com

NY Times deals with campaign finance contributions from the financial services industry.

Mr. Obama has led the way in contributions during the presidential campaign from individuals associated with the securities and investment industry, receiving $9.9 million, followed by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton at $7.4 million and Mr. McCain at $6.9 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

But the industry is only Mr. Obama’s fourth largest contributor, while it is Mr. McCain’s third largest.

Mr. Obama has gotten some $370,000 from employees of Lehman Brothers, which has filed for bankruptcy, and members of their immediate families, compared to the roughly $117,000 Mr. McCain has received.

Individuals associated with Merrill Lynch, which agreed to be sold over the weekend to Bank of America, collectively are Mr. McCain’s largest contributor, giving nearly $300,000 to his campaign.

John A. Thain, Merrill’s chairman and chief executive officer, is one of the McCain campaign’s biggest bundlers of campaign contributions, collecting more than $500,000 for him.

Not that it really matters much since the reaction of both candidates is to regulate them more.