Would you pay $1,300/mo. to lease a car? You already do.

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Off topic but irresistible to those following the saga of U.S. Rep. Laura Richardson (pictured), the triple-default and single-foreclosure Democrat of Long Beach: the car she leases for official use is the most expensive lease of any member of the House of Representatives, according to Gene Maddaus of the Daily Breeze.

Maddaus: ‘When she arrived in Congress last fall, Rep. Laura Richardson sought out a vehicle that would match her newfound status. She settled on a 2007 Lincoln Town Car - the choice of many representatives who lease their vehicles at taxpayers’ expense. But hers was distinct:

at $1,300 a month, it was the most expensive car in the House of Representatives.’

Please note the phrase ‘at taxpayers’ expense.’

Better known for defaulting on three mortgages and losing one house to foreclosure, Richardson is fast gaining a reputation for inventive auto financing. The backstory from Maddaus: ‘ When she was a councilwoman in Long Beach, she crashed her BMW, abandoned it at a body shop, failed to pay a prior repair bill, and then racked up 30,000 miles on a city-owned hybrid in one year - apparently violating a policy against personal use of city cars.’

I know, I know, it’s not a housing story. But I also know some of you are following the saga of Rep. Richardson’s personal and public finances. For my money it’s one of the better political stories to come out of the foreclosure crisis.

Your thoughts? Comments? E-mail story tips to peter.viles@latimes.com.
Hat tips: Uncle Billy via e-mail, with a reminder from LAObserved.
Photo Credit: Rep. Laura Richardson, center, arrives at a fundraiser in Washington, Wednesday, June 25, 2008, via A.P.