WSJ has the news on the Sec. of Treasury’s top aide’s history as a Goldman Sachs lobbyist.

The appointment of Mark Patterson runs into an executive order President Barack Obama signed to limit the ability of officials to move between industry and government. The order, part of a campaign promise to curb the influence business, allows lobbyists to join the administration as long as they don’t work on the subjects they tried to influence for a period of two years.

Before Mr. Patterson left Goldman in April, he was vice president for government relations, and was registered to lobby Congress on legislation including energy tax credits and Indian gaming, according to disclosure forms filed with Congress. Mr. Patterson monitored other issues moving through Congress that Goldman never took a position on, including foreclosure-prevention measures and shareholder votes on executive compensation.