Reid: Nevada’s richest legislator

Tuesday, June 18, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., is the only certified millionaire in the Nevada congressional delegation, but the state's other three members are in that range.

Reid's financial disclosure statement shows him with assets of between $2.6 million and $5.7 million. He was ranked among the 36 richest members of Congress by Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper that estimated his wealth at about $3 million.

Following Reid are:

* Rep. John Ensign, a Republican, with assets of between $619,008 and $1.3 million.

* Rep. Barbara Vucanovich, also a Republican, with assets of between $546,048 and $1.8 million.

* Sen. Richard Bryan, a Democrat, with assets of between $418,014 and $1.1 million.

The exact worth of each lawmaker can't be determined because members of Congress are allowed to estimate the value of their assets in broad brackets.

Bryan and Ensign said Monday they are not millionaires, although neither could give a precise figure.

Vucanovich was unavailable for comment, said spokeswoman Susan Zimmerman.

Ellen Nelson, executive director of Common Cause of Nevada, said disclosure laws should be changed to require specific dollar amounts, rather than a range.

"It raises questions if a person reports $100,000 the first term and $2 million the next," she said.

In addition to their assets, each member of Congress receives an annual salary of $133,600.

Extensive real estate holdings in Southern Nevada account for most of Reid's wealth, but his assets dipped this year by about $100,000.

His three major holdings include an office building in Las Vegas, 100 acres in Bullhead City, Ariz., and nearly 16 acres in Clark County. Each is worth between $500,001 and $1 million.

Reid's income from interest-bearing accounts, rent and capital gains in 1995 was between $132,000 and $1.1 million. He also got between $250,001 and $500,000 for the sale of 41 lots.

Reid donated $36,000 in speaking fees to charities.

Ensign's assets this year were about half the $1 million to $2.2 million he reported last year. The difference was a building at Lake Mead worth between $500,001 and $1 million.

Ensign listed the building as an asset last year, but this year said it had been transferred to a partnership he joined. His share of the partnership was listed at between $50,001 and $100,000.

A veterinarian, Ensign reported his major asset is a note receivable worth between $500,000 and $1 million from Christopher Yach, another veterinarian from Las Vegas.

Income from Ensign's assets in 1995 was between $53,704 and $109,300. A former casino executive, he also got between $3,003 and $45,000 in sales of stock he owned in gaming companies.

Ensign donated $2,000 from a speech to charity. He also listed three trips, including one to Israel, that were paid for by various interest groups.

Vucanovich, leaving Congress after 14 years, reported assets of between $546,048 and $1.8 million. That's about $100,000 less than last year.

Almost all of Vucanovich's assets are stocks and bonds she owns jointly with her husband, George, who also earned an undisclosed sum for accounting services to Rep. Michael Bilirakis, R-Fla.

Income from Vucanovich's assets in 1995 was between $24,532 and $68,600. She got another $33,005 to $145,000 from sales of stocks, bonds and trusts.

Bryan was the only member of the Nevada delegation to see his financial worth increase in 1995, with his assets jumping by about $200,000.

Major assets include Davis Real Estate of Las Vegas, worth between $100,001 and $250,000, and a 25 percent share in a Las Vegas veterinary practice worth between $250,001 and $500,000. Like Reid, Bryan owns shares in several real estate parcels in Las Vegas.

Income from Bryan's assets in 1995 was between $68,411 and $221,300. He also got between $265,001 and $550,000 in asset sales.

Reid

Vucanovich