Update: Please see Ellen’s comment in the comment thread for a clarification of these numbers.

MAPLight.org’s excellent study on in-state vs. out-of-state contributions to congressional candidates provides so many great points of data. The Blog of the Legal Times (BLT) looks at the zip codes with the highest amount of giving to political candidates. No surprise here:

1. Washington, D.C. 20005, with $28.9 million raised (map) 2. Washington, D.C. 20001, with $27.5 million raised (map) 3. Washington, D.C. 20036, with $27.5 million raised (map) 4. Washington, D.C. 20006, with $21.8 million raised (map) 5. Washington, D.C. 20004, with $17.8 million raised (map) 6. Alexandria, Va. 22314, with $12.2 million raised 7. Washington, D.C. 20007 with $5.8 million raised (map) 8. Chicago, Ill. 60611 with $5.3 million raised 9. McLean, Va. 22102 with $5.2 million raised 10. Arlington, Va. 22209 with $5.2 million raised

All but one of these Washington, D.C. zip codes include parts of K Street, the chief lobbying corridor in the capital city. Arlington and McLean are part of a few of the richest counties in the entire country (McLean is in Fairfax County, the absolute richest county in the U.S.) These two Virginia locales are populated with pundits, lobbyists, defense contractors, lobbyists, and lobbyists.

And just in case there were any illusions left about campaign contributions and influence in Congress, take a look at this post from the blog of the law firm Womble Carlyle:

In the October 1 Political GPS we discussed the brave new world of regulation that has been ushered in by the current economic crisis. And from what we can see, “Joe the Hedge Fund Manager” should have as many concerns as “Joe the Plumber.” In short, the financial services industry will need to shift its government relations and PAC efforts into overdrive in order to outrun the regulatory tsunami headed its way.

Which plays nicely into the Washingtonian’s list of winners and losers in Washington over the collapse of the financial industry. Guess who the number one winners are: lobbyists and law firms!