Georgia Democrat
Rep. Sanford D. Bishop Jr.
What the Post found
Public projects, private interests
Spending with family connections: $200,000
News organizations in Georgia reported that Bishop helped secure nearly $200,000 in 2008 and 2009 for a middle school mentoring program that employed Bishop's stepdaughter and her husband. Bishop told reporters that he did not know his stepdaughter and her husband worked for the program, and once he found out, he ended the earmarks. "It happened, he's been cleared by the ethics committee, and he's moved on," a Bishop spokesman said.
Bishop’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.
Bishop
House median
Estimated wealth
-$159,497 in 2010
Change in estimated wealth
187% since 2004
Less wealth and more aggressive
Lawmakers holding fewer assets with riskier investment strategies and/or higher debts.
Wealthier
More aggressive
Financial approach
Minimal Assets
41 lawmakers saw their estimated wealth fall below $25,000, with many slipping into the negative territory.
What industries does Bishop 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.
Bishop's estimated
2010 liabilities
$450,001
What asset types does Bishop 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.
