$700 billion bailout for the financial industry, Montana's senators and lone congressman accepted contributions - of sizable amounts in some cases - from mortgage and banking firms.
On some public disclosure documents, the list of contributors reads like a who's who of the current financial crisis.
$85 billion government loan the day after Lehman crashed; and JP Morgan Chase, a bank amassing Wall Street clout as it absorbs, often through emergency government sales, failing financial institutions.
Most of the donations went to lawmakers seated on finance and banking committees, though all three of Montana's delegates received something in recent years.
The money doesn't come from the mortgage or finance companies directly, but rather from donors identifying themselves as executives and employees of those companies as well as the family members of employees. Political action committees, or PACs, organized for the purpose of raising money for campaigns, also were key contributors.
Campaign finance information for each politician is recorded by the Federal Election Commission.
All three Montana delegates - Democratic Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester, and Republican Rep. Denny Rehberg - insist the contributions have not influenced their votes on financial matters or on the $700 billion bailout.
Both Tester and Rehberg voted against the legislation, while Baucus voted in favor of the bill.
"Contributions have not ever - and will not ever - influence Max's votes. That's a fact," said Barrett Kaiser, a Baucus spokesman. "Max has only one yardstick while making decisions: What's right for Montana. He has a sign on his desk that reads 'Montana comes first,' and that's what he carries with him in all he does.
The financial crisis facing Montana and America is real, Kaiser said.
"That's why Max is working with congressional leaders and economic experts to craft a package that's fair to taxpayers and helps rescue our economy from collapse. This isn't about helping Wall Street; it's about making sure Montanans don't lose their jobs."
Baucus, who is chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, also received the most money from PACs tied to firms with roles in the financial crisis.
Since 2001, Baucus has accepted at least $50,600 from AIG's PAC or people with ties to the company. Collectively, AIG contributions since 2003 rank fourth among Baucus' top contributors, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Third on the list of Baucus contributors since 2003 is Goldman Sachs, whose previous chief executive officer, Henry Paulson, is now the Treasury secretary. Goldman employees and executives have given Baucus more than $52,000 since 2001. Since 1989, Goldman's PAC and its employees have given Baucus $87,900.
Seventh on Baucus' list of PACs is Morgan Stanley, with donations of at least $30,000. Until recently, that company and Goldman Sachs were investment banks like Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns, both of which sank under the weight of high-risk failing investments. Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs opted last week to transform themselves into bank holding companies, which are much more tightly regulated by the federal government.
Lehman Brothers has donated $12,000 to Baucus since 2001. Other contributors that didn't fare well in the financial crisis include Washington Mutual, whose PAC gave Baucus $3,500.
Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, the mortgage finance giants deemed too big to fail by the federal government, which took them over in September, contributed $6,000 to Baucus. The companies were subpoenaed last week for financial documents as part of a federal grand jury investigation into their accounting.
As part of the Freddie and Fannie bailout, the Treasury Department gave $200 billion to the two companies to prevent their defaulting on mortgage-backed securities worth trillions of dollars. The crumbling financial firm Wachovia Corp., which was sold to Citigroup in a sale organized by federal regulators last Friday, has donated $10,350 to Baucus since 2001.
Fannie Mae's PAC also contributed $3,500 to Tester. The senator from Big Sandy received $1,000 from JP Morgan Chase & Co. and $1,250 in individual donations from people identifying themselves as AIG employees.
PACs for interests watching the financial meltdown from the sidelines contributed smaller amounts to Montana's delegation. The National Association of Mortgage Brokers gave $2,500 to Tester. The Mortgage Bankers Association gave $10,000 to Baucus and $1,000 to Rehberg, who isn't on committees dealing with banking or finance.
Jed Link, a spokesman for Rehberg, said last week there were contributors with a stake in the economic crisis who weren't happy with Rehberg's opposition to the $700 billion bailout.
In Billings last week, Tester said not everyone with ties to the finance industry favors passage of the bailout. He's heard from interests big and small about the pending legislation.
Exactly what campaign contributors receive for their donations is debatable, said David Parker, political science professor at Montana State University.
"The answer is largely no after 40 years of empirical research," Parker said. "But there is some possibility and suggestion that money affects access. So that means if you give money, you're more likely to get your phone calls answered and more likely to be in the room when the bill is discussed."
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