Mortgage bankers group spent $596K lobbying in 4Q

WASHINGTON

The Mortgage Bankers Association spent $596,000 in the fourth quarter of last year to lobby the federal government on banking regulations and other issues, according to a disclosure form.

That's down more than 8 percent from the $649,000 the group spent in the same quarter a year earlier and about 9 percent less than the $658,000 it spent in the third quarter of 2009.

The Washington-based trade group lobbied on numerous pieces of legislation affecting mortgage lending, taxes, housing policy, foreclosure relief and regulation of government-controlled mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, according to a Jan. 20 filing with the House clerk's office.

Besides Congress, the trade group lobbied the departments of Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, the White House and the FBI in the October-December period.