WHEELING - Two members of Congress representing West Virginia are among the wealthiest in Washington.
U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller and U.S. Rep. Alan Mollohan, both D-W.Va., rank high on a list of the richest members of Congress compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.
The non-profit, non-partisan organization has assessed financial reports required of each congressional member, and used the data to rank them from richest to least wealthy.
Rockefeller is listed as being the fourth wealthiest in the 100-member U.S. Senate.
He is eighth richest overall among the 535 members in Congress, based on his reported net worth.
Mollohan, meanwhile, is placed at 24th among the richest House members, which total 435.
U.S. Rep. Charles Wilson, D-Ohio, ranks 42nd in the House; Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., 155th; and Rep. Zack Space, D-Ohio, 217th.
Among others in the U.S. Senate, George Voinovich, R-Ohio, ranks 58th; Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., 79th; and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, 92nd.
But it is Mollohan's financial report that proves the most intriguing. He is listed as having a net worth of up to $27.2 million - or he could be in debt as much as $267,981.
The Center for Responsive Politics acknowledges in its data that it is difficult to gauge what a federal lawmaker is worth based on what they are required to file because "the disclosure forms do not require exact values."
Instead, lawmakers report the range of value into which an asset falls. And as the values increase, the ranges get broader.
To calculate net worth, the center added together the lawmaker's range of assets and then subtracted their range of liabilities. The midpoint of the resulting range was used to figure the overall rank of the filers.
He lists among his assets The Remington condominium complex he owns in Washington, D.C., which he values at $3 million to $15 million; deposits on two units at the Preserve Condo in Southport, N.C., at $1 million to $5 million; MNM Holdings, which includes the Ramada Inn in Morgantown, at $1 million to $5 million; and two properties at Bald Head Island, N.C., each valued at $500,001 to $1 million.
Among his liabilities, Mollohan lists the mortgage on apartment units at Remington Inc. at $1 million to $5 million, with the mortgage being held by United Bank of Virginia. He also notes a second mortgage at NewBridge Bank for $500,000 to $1 million, along with various other liabilities.
Mollohan's financial forms were completed earlier this year. Just recently, at least one of the properties at Bald Head Island was foreclosed upon by NewBridge Bank.
That property was owned by Mollohan and one of his former staffers, Laura Kurtz Kuhns. Kuhns now runs the Vandalia Heritage Foundation, for which Mollohan secured federal funding to create in 1998.
His assets are listed at $85.7 million to $133.67 million, with the largest being his stake as a J.P. Morgan Chase Bank trustee being valued at $50 million; his position as a Wachovia Bank trustee, $25 million to $50 million; and his share in United National Bank, $5 million to $25 million, among other assets.
Rockefeller also lists liabilities of $5.25 million to $25.5 million. These include a "demand loan" of between $5 million and $25 million from United National Bank, and a second loan of between $250,001 and $500,000 from J.P. Morgan Chase Bank.
A demand loan is defined as a loan that is repayable on demand when requested by the bank, rather than on a specified date.
Wilson values Wilson Funeral and Furniture at $1 million to $5 million, and his stake in National Financial Services at $1 million to $5 million.
He also lists having a mortgage on Adolph Group Real Estate at $500,001 to $1 million.
She lists 58 assets totaling $884,064 to $2.57 million, with the largest of these being a stake in Citigroup Inc. valued at between $150,003 to $351,000.
Her liabilities total $230,004 to $600,000, and include a mortgage on property of between $100,001 and $250,000.
His assets include condominium rental property valued at $100,001 to $250,000.
He has assets of $536,013 to $1,44 million, mostly being comprised of a state of Ohio Deferred Compensation Plan worth $100,001 to $250,000, and two real estate properties valued at the same amounts.
His liabilities, consisting of two mortgages and two credit cards, total $180,004 to $450,000.
The richest member of Congress is reported to be U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., who has an estimated net worth of between $164.6 million and $251 million.
The least wealthy, according to the data, is U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., whose net worth is listed at somewhere between $-7.4 million and $-2.1 million, meaning his liabilities outweigh his assets.