Three multi-millionaires among NC House members

Robin Hayes, Charles Taylor and Cass Ballenger top the list of North Carolina’s wealthiest US House members - and eight of the 13 appear to be worth more than $1 million.

Title I of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, requires Members, officers, certain employees of the US House of Representatives and related offices, and candidates for the House of Representatives to file Financial Disclosure Statements with the Clerk of the House of Representatives.

Financial disclosure forms released give a financial portrait of federal lawmakers. Although the forms include both personal, joint, spousal and dependent children assets, wealth estimates cover only personal or joint assets of the lawmakers.

Taylor, who represents western North Carolina’s 11th District, listed assets that ranged from a low of $54.8 million to upwards of $71.8 million. His largest holding -- listed as “over $50 million” -- is in Financial Guaranty Corp., an Asheville-based holding corporation for Blue Ridge Savings Bank.

Assets for the 10th District’s Cass Ballenger range from $5.3 million to $27.6 million, with a majority -- ranging from $5 million to $25 million -- stemming from dividends from the Hickory-based company Ballenger founded, Plastic Packaging Inc.