McCaskill makes list of 50 richest D.C. lawmakers
Sen. Claire McCaskill. Photo courtesy of Studio08Denver.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Out of 535 members of Congress, Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill ranks among the 20 richest federal lawmakers.
According the Washington newspaper Roll Call, which ranked the 50 wealthiest House and Senate members, McCaskill ranked 18th with net assets of roughly $17 million. The rankings are based on Congressional members’ public financial disclosures.
Virtually McCaskill’s entire career has been spent in the public sector as a prosecutor and elected office-holder. Her fortune is derived from husband Joseph Shepard, a St. Louis businessman in the nursing home industry.
McCaskill was the only Missourian on the list. The wealthiest member of Congress was Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, with $294.21 million. One of six Texas representatives to make the list, the Austin American Statesman newspaper reports that much of McCaul’s fortune is derived through investments and his marriage to the daughter of Clear Channel Communications founder Lowry Mays.
California was another state highly represented on the list, with a total of five representatives and senators making the cut. Among them were Rep. Darrell Issa, who ranked second on the list with $220 million; Sen. Dianne Feinstein who ranked ninth with $45.39 million; and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi who ranked 12th with $35 million.
Another notable name on the list was Massachusetts Senator and former Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry, who ranked third with $193 million that mostly derives from his wife’s claim to the Heinz food company fortune. Rounding out the top five were West Virginia Sen. Jay Rockefeller – great-grandson of the world’s first private millionaire – and Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, who each had $81.63 million and $76.3 million in assets respectively.
Between the two political parties, Republicans had more members on the list overall with 31, but Democrats led the top 10 with seven members.
To see the full list, visit www.rollcall.com.
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Posted by Tim Sampson on August 20, 2011. Filed under Politics.
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I never could understand why Missourians voted for McCaskill, when it was a well-known fact that she and her husband had been investigated numerous times for the living conditions of the nursing homes they owned and operated. If they were not convicted, it was because they were slicker than the prosecutors, but then, most business people are much smarter than government workers.