Who are the 10 richest members of Congress?

The 10 wealthiest members of Congress in 2012 include Senate and House members hailing from all over the US. Can you guess which political party had the most lawmakers on the list – and who grabbed the top spot? 

1. Rep. Michael McCaul (R) – Texas

Lauren Victoria Burke/Reuters/File
Rep. Michael McCaul, right, takes part in a news conference with other members of the Texas congressional delegation in this 2010 file photo. McCaul topped Congress's rich list for the second year in a row. His minimum net worth has skyrocketed since he joined the House in 2005.

Minimum net worth: $305.46 million 
 
McCaul tops the list for the second year in a row with a reported minimum net worth that broke the $300 million mark. 
 
The lawyer and former federal prosecutor has placed high on our annual survey since he arrived on Capitol Hill in 2005. But his minimum net worth has skyrocketed while in the House, from $12 million that year to $305.46 million in 2011, according to his most recent disclosure form. 
 
The value of McCaul's fortune rose sharply in 2010, when the congressman reported that his wife, Linda McCaul, had received "certain assets" as gifts from her parents. As a result, McCaul's reported net worth jumped from at least $73.75 million in 2009 to at least $294 million in 2010, according to Roll Call's prior assessments. 
 
Linda McCaul is the daughter of Clear Channel Communications CEO and founder Lowry Mays. Many of McCaul’s most valuable assets are held by his wife and in trusts associated with her family. 
 
McCaul's only reported liability is a Bank of America mortgage of $500,000 to $1 million on his personal residence. 

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