Colleagues' net wealth? It's tip money to Darrell Issa

Publication: San Diego Union Tribune's SignOn San Diego

Chris Reed
May 19, 2008

The Sunlight Foundation has set up an excellent web site where you can see how wealthy your congressman/congresswoman has gotten while in office. How are our locals faring? Be prepared for the maddening fact that lawmakers only have to give ranges for their wealth.

Susan Davis hasn't done too well with her investments, apparently.

Avg. Net Worth in 2001

$1,864,703 (Range: $818,371 to $2,911,034)

Avg. Net Worth in 2006

$2,111,027 (Range: $1,098,055 to $3,123,999)

She could take tips from Duncan Hunter. Here's his info:

Avg. Net Worth in 1995

$292,451 (Range: $-114,284 to $699,185)

Avg. Net Worth in 2006

$1,600,503 (Range: $881,009 to $2,319,997)

Bob Filner isn't doing too well, either:

Avg. Net Worth in 1995

$609,788 (Range: $227,263 to $992,313)

Avg. Net Worth in 2006

$830,511(Range: $413,022 to $1,248,000)

Brian Bilbray appears to have suffered from the property values crash:

Avg. Net Worth in 2005

$485,927 (Range: $162,168 to $809,685)

Avg. Net Worth in 2006

$246,227 (Range: $92,234 to $400,219)

You add them all up together, and their wealth amounts to tip money for Darrell Issa.

Avg. Net Worth in 2000

$127,253,230 (Range: $58,212,103 to $196,294,357)

Avg. Net Worth in 2006

$337,440,029 (Range: $158,580,056 to $516,300,001)

Issa, of "Step away from the car" car-alarm fame, is the second-richest lawmaker. The richest also made her money in electronics, or at least married into it. It's L.A. area congresswoman Jane Harman ...

Avg. Net Worth in 2006

$409,426,887 (Range: $222,175,772 to $596,678,002)

... whose husband is the Harman in Harman-Kardon.Nothing looks all that suspicious here. On the other hand, disclosure rules don't appear to be especially strict or necessarily result in reliable numbers