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Who are the 10 richest members of Congress?

The 10 wealthiest members of Congress in 2012 include Senate and House members hailing from all over the US. Can you guess which political party had the most lawmakers on the list – and who grabbed the top spot? 

3. Rep. Darrell Issa (R) – Calif.

J. Scott Applewhite/AP/FIle
House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa (R) of California delivers a statement on Capitol Hill in Washington earlier this month. Before his days in Congress, Issa founded a company that manufactures car alarms.

  • By CNBC.com and Roll Call

Minimum net worth: $140.55 million 
 
Issa's minimum net worth dropped by about $80 million from 2010 to 2011, dropping him one spot on the list, to third place. 
 
It's not a bad place to be: The six-term California Republican still reports having a minimum net worth of at least $140.55 million. 
 
The value of Issa's assets actually increased since last year's filing, from about $295.4 million to $315.55 million. But so did his reported minimum liabilities, which rose from $75 million in 2010 to $175 million in 2011. 
 
The increase in reported liabilities is a bit misleading. Though lawmakers are required to report only the year-end value of all assets, they must disclose liabilities that exceeded $10,000 at any point in the calendar year. 
 
Issa paid off a personal note to Greene Properties of at least $50 million in January of last year. The same month, he paid off a note worth at least $25 million to DEI LLC. Both are still listed as liabilities, along with two personal loans worth at least $50 million each from Union Bank and Merrill Lynch. 

Issa describes Greene Properties as a "property management company" that owns California real estate in which he has at least a $5 million stake. DEI LLC is a commercial property management company in which Issa has at least a $500,000 interest. 

 
Before coming to Capitol Hill, Issa founded Vista, Calif.-based Directed Electronics, which manufactures car alarms. 

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Mark Sappenfield
Editor

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