Apparently the Congressional financial reports are out, because, scanning the headlines, I see a bunch of stories about the wealth of the various Congresscritters. This one by Gannett’s Maureen Groppe says that the total wealth of Indiana’s Congressional delegation dropped considerably with the loss of Chris Chocola and Mike Sodrel. Their replacements, Joe Donnelly and Baron Hill, respectively, don’t have anywhere near the wealth. The Bayhs’ considerable wealth stems from Evan’s wife’s position on an array of corporate boards. Dick Lugar’s primary asset is a million dollar home in Virginia.
Sylvia Smith has a similar story that focuses primarily on Evan Bayh and his wife’s aforementioned corporate income. She has another story focusing on Dan Burton and his real estate holdings in four states.
Are there any studies you know of that track congressional members’ increases in wealth over their time in congress? How do members’ wealth compare with that of average US citizens?