Pelosi's Wealth Greater Than Other Congressional Leaders

July 7, 2008

(CNSNews.com) - Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is the wealthiest of the top congressional leaders, with total assets valued at somewhere between $30 million and $131 million, according to federal financial disclosure statements.

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) has limited resources compared to Pelosi's stocks and real estate ventures, though Boehner's assets themselves range between $2.1 million and $7.9 million.

The financial disclosure forms for members of the House of Representatives were released Monday. Senate reports were released on Friday. The reports show that Pelosi has more big ticket investments than most other top leaders in Congress. However, by any standard, these House members are doing well financially.

In the Senate, the discrepancy between party leaders is not so vast.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has investments, mostly in release estate, with total assets valued between $2.6 million and $12.3 million.

That's marginally behind Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), whose assets are valued at between $3 million and $12.7 million, according to his disclosure.

The financial disclosure forms, which members of Congress are required to file every year, do not provide exact values of assets, but rather give wide ranges such as $250,000 to $500,000, or $5 million to $25 million. The higher the value, the wider the range for reporting purposes. That's why the range is so wide for Pelosi, whose wealth surpasses other members.

During calendar year 2007, Pelosi owned four pieces of commercial property valued at between $1 million and $5 million each in San Francisco, Norden, San Anselmo, and Rutherford, all in California. She owns another piece of commercial property valued at between $5 million and $25 million.

The speaker had stock valued at between $5 million and $25 million in Apple Computers. She also owns a vineyard on Zinfandel Lane Street in Helena, Calif., valued at between $5 million and $25 million. She also owns between $500,000 and $1 million in E-Bay.

She has two investments valued at between $1 million and $5 million each in real estate partnerships in California, another investment valued at that same amount in Forty-Five Belden Corp., a San Francisco investment company, and Piatti Restaurant in Tiburon, Calif.

Boehner's only asset over $1 million is in a retirement plan.

Reid has investments in real estate and municipal bonds, but has no single asset valued at more than $1 million.

McConnell, on the other hand, has between $1 million and $5 million in a Vanguard 500 Index Fund with his spouse, U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao. The two also have between $1 million and $5 million in real property (a house) in Washington, D.C.

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