While plenty of attention has been given to the “Government Sachs” protest that took place on Wednesday, inside the lobby of Goldman’s New York headquarters, another story probably flew under the radar of most readers - i.e., Goldman’s curious connections to Jay Clayton, Donald Trump's choice to succeed Mary Jo White as Chair of the SEC. [It's interesting that Trump made the announcement on the same day that the protest took place.]

Anyway, we all know by now that Trump tapped several Goldman alumni to help lead his administration - even though he derided Wall Street and singled out Goldman Sachs firm as a symbol of greed throughout his campaign. Steven Mnuchin, a former partner at the bank, is his nominee to be Treasury secretary; former Goldman President Gary Cohn will serve in a top White House economic post; and, alumni Stephen Bannon will be Trump's chief strategist.

Connections to Jay Clayton.   Jay Clayton has his own close ties to the investment bank. As a partner with Sullivan & Cromwell, Clayton has done work for Goldman Sachs. Second, Clayton’s wife, Gretchen, is a wealth manager at the bank. [You may recall that Heidi Cruz, wife of Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz, is a managing director for Goldman’s wealth management office in Houston.]  

All in all, the ongoing relationship between the federal government and Goldman Sachs continues to be an unparalleled source of amazement.