Panetta received $56,000 from Merrill Lynch & Co. for two speeches and $28,000 for a speech for Wachovia Corporation.
Tomorrow there is a scheduled Senate hearing on Panetta's nomination.
Both Merrill and Wachovia reported big losses last year and were acquired by larger firms.
Retired politicians commonly make money giving speeches and consulting for prominent companies with significant interests before the government which was an important factor in the withdrawal of cabinet nominee, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle.
Panetta also received a $28,000 honorarium from the Carlyle Group, a private equity firm that owns companies doing business with national-security agencies of the U.S. government. Carlyle holds a majority stake in the government consulting arm of Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., which works for the CIA and other agencies.
Panetta also reported receiving a $60,000 "Governmental Advisor Fee" from the Pacific Maritime Association, which represents the shipping industry. The group lobbies the federal government regarding terrorism laws that affect shipping.
Fleishman Hillard, a large public affairs and lobbying firm, also paid Panetta $130,000 in director's fees.
Another source of income for Panetta was California State University, Monterey Bay, which hosts the Leon & Sylvia Panetta Institute for Public Policy, a nonprofit foundation run by Panetta and his wife. The school paid Mr. Panetta $150,000 in "consulting fees."
Its business as usual in Washington.
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