Contributions by hedge fund firms to political candidates is on the rise. For the first time, it looks like such giving will be a significant source of funding in a presidential race. Already, hedge funds are prominent in the efforts for Hillary Clinton and Rudolph Giuliani. Apart from the actual funds, hedge fund managers also tend to open doors to other big donors. No wonder candidates are talking about giving up public funding. Hedge funds seem to be leaning toward the Democrats this time, but it may reflect a good bit of opportunism. The fact is that all this giving isn't without a purpose. Hedge funds face some pretty tricky regulatory issues going forward. The end of registration may have been a lucky blow. We'll see what favors the industry seeks to extract.

For more:
- here's a New York Times article