Hedge funds are proving to be a growing power in the political arena, complicating the issues by pouring funding into the Democratic side of the playing field, giving mostly to candidates and causes that interest them personally, rather than targeting key lawmakers with influence over regulating the industry.
Hedge funds priorities seldom align with those of others in a sector already full of conflict. The rise of hedge fund managers as a political force is expanding the financial sector’s Washington presence.
“The hedge funds have tremendous political clout but they also have significant enemies. The mutual funds hate the hedge funds … The corporate community sees them as destabilizing,” said Columbia University Law School Professor John Coffee in an interview with Reuters.
Campaign finance records show 20 of the most successful U.S. hedge fund managers have pumped more than $3.1 million into campaigns so far in 2005-2006, up from about $1.1 million by the same group in the last mid-term election cycle.
Donors such as George Soros, of Soros Fund Management, has given more than $2.3 million, according to PoliticalMoneyLine, a campaign finance research group. D.E. Shaw & Co. has given $78,600 so far and the Gaine group has donated $122,500 in this cycle.
James Chanos, president of hedge fund Kynikos Associates, set up a group called the Coalition of Private Investment Companies to urge hedge fund managers to be more politically active. Hillary Clinton is also a frequent recipient of hedge fund donations.
Hedge fund giving is still not as strategically targeted as donations made by bankers, insurers and other, older financial interests, which are generally more pro-Republican.
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