A private equity lobbying group that represents some of biggest buyout firms, including Blackstone Group Inc and KKR & Co Inc, said on Monday it has paused all political donations following the storming of the U.S. Capitol last week.

"Our country faces enormous health, economic, and social challenges that take precedent over politics. In this environment, the American Investment Council is pausing all political contributions to candidates from the AIC PAC," a spokeswoman for the Washington-based American Investment Council said in a statement. READ MORE