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House Watchdog Issa Tops '50 Wealthiest' In Congress

VISTA (CBSLA.com) — A Southern California Congressman is the richest man in Congress, according to a new survey.

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) was ranked number one among The Hill's 50 Wealthiest lawmakers with an estimated net worth of at least $355 million by the end of 2012.

Before he was elected to office in 2001, Issa was a successful chief executive who founded Directed Electronics and served as chairman of the Consumer Electronics Association.

"Basically his wealth comes from a number of investment funds that are worth at least $50 million or more," Kevin Bogardus with The Hill told KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO.

Issa represents a district which covers the northern San Diego County, including cities such as Oceanside, Vista, Carlsbad and Encinitas, as well as Camp Pendleton and a small portion of southern Orange County.

In his role as House Oversight Committee Chairman, Issa most recently headed an investigation into alleged targeting of conservative groups by the IRS.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco also made the 50 Wealthiest list, which overall featured 29 Republicans and 21 Democrats.

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