More than 900 former federal employees, including 70 former members of Congress, have gone to work as lobbyists for the financial services sector in 2009, according to a Public Citizen report released today analyzing data provided by the Center for Responsive Politics

Nearly half of the 150 former members who have reported lobbying in 2009 are working in the financial services sector. These include former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, R-Ill; former Senate Majority Leader and Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole, R-Kan.; former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss.; former House Majority Leaders Dick Armey, R-Tex. and Dick Gephardt, D-Mo; former Appropriations Chairman Bob Livingston, R-La.; former Ways & Means Chairman Bill Thomas, R-Calif.; and former Rep.Vin Weber, R-Minn.

"It's a shame that so much taxpayer money has been spent to train people to lobby," said David Arkush, director of Public Citizen's Watch division.