Michigan Republican
Rep. Dave Camp
What the Post found
Financial approach
Invests in: Mixed, Miscellaneous Business, Energy / Natural Resources
Stock trades and overlapping interests
Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee since 1993, reported making trades in John Deere when the Illinois-based company was registered to lobby on tax and trade legislation before his committee between 2007 and 2010. The biggest single transaction was between $50,000 and $100,000. When the purchase was made in March 2009, Deere stock was $32 a share. The stock now trades at $75 per share.
Response by Camp
Camp declined through his spokesman to be interviewed or provide additional information about his trades and how his portfolio is managed. “All of the Congressman’s financial information are fully disclosed in accordance with the law,” Sage Eastman, a senior adviser to Camp, said in an e-mail. “His stock portfolio is managed by a firm. He does not make decisions about when to buy or sell a stock.”
Camp’s financial portrait
The Post examined the personal finances disclosed by all members of Congress and computerized by Center for Responsive Politics to show how they manage their assets and invest their money.
Camp
House median
Estimated wealth
$7.3 million in 2010
Change in estimated wealth
4% since 2004
More wealth and more aggressive
Lawmakers who use riskier investment strategies and/or borrowing to increase wealth.
Wealthier
More aggressive
Financial approach
Heavy Trader
32 lawmakers are heavily involved in the stock and other markets, and they or their brokers are constantly buying and selling assets. The practice is seen as one of the most aggressive investment strategies.
What industries does Camp invest in?
Many assets can be tied to specific industries, such as finance, agriculture or
natural resources. "Mixed" investments are assets not tied to a specific industry.
Camp's estimated
2010 liabilities
None
What asset types does Camp hold?
Assets are lumped into groups such as real estate, stocks,
mutual funds or cash.
NOTE: "Mixed" investments are assets that are not tied to a specific industry. Charted change in annual estimated wealth is capped at 200 percent increase and 100 percent decrease for clarity. See the full methodology here.
SOURCES: Congressional financial disclosure forms, Center for Responsive Politics, Washington Post analysis.
About the data
The estimation of assets for lawmakers is based on calculating the midpoint of reported value ranges for holdings and liabilities that members of Congress list on financial disclosure forms. It does not reflect assets lawmakers are not required to disclose, such as personal residences and non-interest bearing bank accounts. The estimation is not intended to provide a complete portrait of the net worth of each legislator, but rather show their relative standing in Congress and how their holdings have changed over time.
If you're a member of Congress who would like to further clarify your financial portrait, please contact us at capitolassets@washpost.com.
