Goldman Sachs Boosts Lobbying Costs 40%

Goldman Sachs is spending more and more in Washington—The bank upped its lobbying spending by nearly 40% in the second quarter and has already spent almost as much in the first half of this year as it did in all of 2009, notes the Huffington Post. The company is concerned about derivatives regulation, bank tax, and a host of other issues at stake in the overhaul of America's financial sector.

The vampire squid isn't the only bank working the Beltway. Six of the country's biggest banks (by assets) upped their spending between January and June, finds Bloomberg. The American Bankers Association, meanwhile, spent $4.2 million, up from $3.9 million the year before. "It’s important to stay in tune with the conversations and decisions that occur in Washington," a bank rep says. (More Goldman Sachs stories.)