Stark Richest in California Delegation With $3 Million

The richest member of the California House delegation is Pete Stark (D-Oakland), and the most popular speaker is Tony Coelho (D-Merced), 1986 public financial disclosures showed Thursday.

Stark reported assets of about $3 million. He made $44,280 for 31 speeches and donated $23,780 to charity.

Coelho earned $60,174 for 43 speeches and articles and donated $38,589 to charity. He also listed $26,000 to $77,500 from rent and interest, and assets of $343,000 to $845,000 in rentals, partnerships and investments.

Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove) and Daniel E. Lungren (R-Long Beach) reported no assets. As gifts, however, Lungren listed an honorary membership in a Huntington Beach country club and Long Beach Yacht Club, and Dornan received a family pass to Disneyland.

Reporting Requirement

House members are required to report income, assets, debts and transactions only within value ranges, rather than specific amounts, and do not have to report House salaries or homes, unless they rent them, making it impossible to figure their exact worth.

Stark listed 12 holdings each worth more than $250,000, including two vineyards, warehouses, a shopping center, 97 Las Vegas condos and an Oakland office building held by Stark Investment Co. He reported income above $600,000, aside from speech fees.

Others who could be worth $1 million or more are Mel Levine (D-Santa Monica), Anthony C. Beilenson (D-Los Angeles) and Robert J. Lagomarsino (R-Ojai).

Levine listed assets worth $700,000 to $1.2 million or more, mostly from a family trust, stocks, partnerships and bank accounts. He earned $32,150 making speeches, and donated $6,550 to charity.

Beilenson’s Assets

Beilenson reported assets of $465,000 to about $1.5 million in stocks, bonds, partnerships in Comcast Cablevision of Maryland, Yellow Aster Venture and a family business, Peter Pauper Press.

Lagomarsino is a partner in a family citrus business with three holdings worth more than $250,000 each.

Don Edwards (D-San Jose), chairman of the Democratic delegation, reported holdings exceeding $500,000 for Valley Investment Co. and Valley Title Co., both in San Jose, while his Republican counterpart, Carlos J. Moorhead (R-Glendale), reported his worth from $168,000 to $410,000.

In the full House, Speaker Jim Wright (D-Tex.) disclosed speaking fees of $32,650 last year, of which he kept $23,650. Wright also reported outside income from oil and gas, book royalties and dividends of $100,300 to $262,000 and holdings of $208,000 to $540,000.

House Minority Leader Robert H. Michel of Illinois made $49,000 on the lecture circuit and kept $25,500. He listed holdings of between $305,000 and $715,000.