Heller financial report shows family wealth above $2.3 million

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Dean Heller's family wealth stands at more than $2.3 million, according to a report released Wednesday in Congress.

Heller reported assets of between $2.3 million and $2.6 million in the annual accounting of personal finances. Much of the wealth is in the name of his wife, Lynne, through several limited partnerships on her side of the family.

Heller and his wife hold joint savings accounts and life insurance policies valued between $51,000 and $115,000. Heller, a former Nevada assemblyman and secretary of state, also is due state retirement worth between $50,000 and $100,000.

Money market accounts and insurance policies for the couple's four children were valued at least at $110,000.

Members of Congress report on their personal wealth in an annual report that is filed in May and made public by Congress in June. They are allowed to report their holdings and debts in broad categories that provide a general sense of their financial health.

The value of their personal homes are not required to be reported, nor are their Capitol Hill salaries, which are $174,000.

Heller, 51, reported no financial liabilities.

Through a family partnership, Lynne Heller is part owner of a Los Angeles warehouse valued at $414,600. The property was vacant and generated no rent in 2010, according to the report and an online property listing.

A separate family partnership that invests in California municipal bonds was valued at $1.66 million.

Heller, a Republican former U.S. House member from Carson City, was appointed to the Senate in May to replace Sen. John Ensign, who resigned. Heller is seeking election to the seat in 2012.

Contact Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault@stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760.