The 19 Richest Members of Congress

[Friday13]

And the richest is...Issa...

The personal wealth of members of Congress increased by more than 5% between 2007 and 2010, on a collective basis, even as median household net worth in the United States dropped by 39%.

The wealthiest lawmakers saw their net worth rise by more than 14%, according to The Washington Post, which recently examined politicians' finances.

Key findings from The Post:
• The number of millionaires in Congress dropped in the wake of the Great Recession; the 253 who have served during the current session represent the fewest since 2004. But the total population of millionaires is likely to be underestimated because lawmakers are not required to list their homes among their assets.
• Between 2004 and 2010, 72 lawmakers appeared to have doubled their estimated wealth.
• At least 150 lawmakers reported receiving more income from outside jobs and investments than from their congressional salaries of $174,000 for rank-and-file members.
• Representatives in 2010 had a median estimated wealth of $746,000; for senators, it was $2.6 million.
• Since 2004, lawmakers reported more than 3,500 outside jobs paying their spouses more than $1,000 a year. Members of Congress are not required to report how much the spouses are paid or how they earned the money.

Lawmakers' wealth is held in a variety of ways: 127 legislators have their money primarily in real estate, 117 in institutional funds, 75 in their spouses' names, 51 in essentially cash, 36 in specific stocks and bonds, 32 in high-turnover trading, 30 in business ownership and 20 in agriculture.

More than 40 lawmakers reported assets of $25,000 or less.

Click through this slide show, published Oct. 23, for a look at the 19 wealthiest members of Congress. (Updated 11/9 to include Nov. 6 election results.)

The List

 

[Friday13]

bump

 

[zzigzzag]

11 Dems and 8 pugs. Dems want to raise their own taxes to help the country out.

Issa does this (from your link):

Issa secured $815,000 in earmarks between 2007 and 2009 to widen a road less than a mile from a medical building in Vista, Calif., that the lawmaker purchased for $16.6 million in 2008. Issa sold the property on Jan. 19 for $15 million.

Typical. Our former Republican Governor here in GA (Sonny Perdue) did precisely the same thing. Built a road to his own secluded property on the taxpayers' dime to enhance the value, then sold it. Now we have Nathan Deal, who is even more corrupt.

I'm so sorry that Issa couldn't get the value above a loss in the real estate climate that his party's policies created.

 

[Friday13]

I'm not sorry that he took a loss...so did the taxpayers on his road. Issa is the lowest form of amoeba (to use Yuri's term) with a criminal past. Over $400M and can't make his own road?