Money and Power: The Wealth of America's Elected Officials by Citizen Codex

The U.S. House of Representatives presents a stark wealth gap compared to the average American. The typical House member is 14 times wealthier than the average citizen, with some ultra-wealthy representatives amassing a net worth over 2,000 times greater. Despite the critical importance of understanding the financial interests of lawmakers, congressional financial disclosures are riddled with inconsistencies and opaque data.

To shed light on this disparity, we turned to artificial intelligence, leveraging tools to parse and analyze thousands of financial disclosure records. Our analysis revealed that the average net worth of a House member, excluding real estate, is $792,514, with nearly half of all members surpassing the $1 million mark.

Using interactive visualizations, we expose the scale of this wealth gap while highlighting the challenges posed by inconsistent reporting standards. This story aims to make congressional finances clearer and more accessible, inviting scrutiny and conversation about the influence of wealth in politics.