Reps. Gary Miller and Ken Calvert Get Their Assets Handed Back to Them

Rep. Linda T. Sánchez (D-Cerritos)
39th District: The slightly titled, U-shaped district in southeastern LA County includes South Gate, Lynwood, Paramount, Lakewood, Artesia, Hawaiian Gardens, Cerritos, Whittier and La Mirada.

Photo by Elmer Bront/Wikipedia Commons

Linda Sánchez and sister Loretta Sanchez (D-Garden Grove), the first American of Mexican heritage to represent Orange County in Congress.

​Capitol Assets: In 2009, Sanchez secured $475,000 to improve seven traffic signals. One was about a mile from her Lakewood home. Two were within three miles. "The city of Lakewood requested these earmarks. They were the city of Lakewood's priorities because the signals were old and deteriorating," a Sanchez spokesman said. "The requests were made to go toward safety improvements that the city asked her to pursue."

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista)
49th District: When Issa took the seat over from retiring Rep. Ron Packard (R-Oceanside) in 2001, the district included San Clemente and other parts of South Orange County. Since redistricting confined it to southwest Riverside and northern San Diego counties, the coverage area has taken in Canyon Lake, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Oceanside, Perris, Temecula, Vista, Wildomar and the communities of Fallbrook, Julian and Valley Center.
​Capitol Assets: Issa secured $815,000 in earmarks between 2007 and 2009 to widen a road less than a mile from a medical building in Vista, Calif., that Issa purchased for $16.6 million in 2008. Issa sold the property on Jan. 19 for $15 million. These earmarks were first reported in March by the Center for American Progress and in August by the New York Times. "Rep. Issa's request for the widening project was made on behalf of local leaders and predated his purchase of the medical center building," a spokesman said.

Keep in mind that these revelations come on the heels of media reports showing members of the House and Senate have used financial information gleaned from their public service to enrich themselves via trading stocks and bonds. Of course, that practice also probably does not constitute a conflict of interest, at least it doesn't under the Capitol Dome.