Here are a few things you can glean from U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s latest financial disclosure form, which was filed this week:

— The Armenian embassy picked up part of the tab for her visit to the country in 2017, a trip that effectively banned her from traveling to Azerbaijan;

— She’s a founding fellow of The Sanders Institute, a nonprofit launched in 2017 by Jane O’Meara, who’s the wife of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders;

— And as of December she’s a new investor in ethereum and litecoin, virtual cryptocurrencies similar to bitcoin that have fascinated and flummoxed those trying to understand the value system. (You can learn more about bitcoin and its pricing here and here.)

Rep Colleen Hanabusa Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard endorsement presser.
U.S. Reps. Colleen Hanabusa, left, and Tulsi Gabbard recently filed their personal financial disclosures. Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Gabbard is one of three members of Hawaii’s federal delegation to file their annual financial disclosures this week. The other members who filed were U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz and U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, who recently lost her bid to become Hawaii’s governor.

Gabbard, Schatz and Hanabusa all asked for and received 90-day extensions to file their disclosures, which were initially due in May.

The reports don’t include their annual congressional salaries — which are $174,000 per year — but they do show other sources of income, such as stocks, bonds and speaking fees, and travel reimbursements from organizations and governments.

Schatz’s latest financial disclosure is less interesting than Gabbard’s, if only because he didn’t report any travel or speaking engagements that netted him any cash.

The reports show, however, that the senator still pulls down a pension of $35,729 from the state after serving in the Legislature and as lieutenant governor. It also notes that his wife, Linda Schatz, owns a real estate development consulting company, valued at up to $500,000.

The disclosures don’t often provide specific dollar amounts for income, and instead include a range, such as $1,001-$15,000 or $15,001-$50,000. That’s why it can be hard to ascertain just how much money a lawmaker earns from outside income.

Lawmakers only have to report whether their spouse earns more than $1,000.

The latest reports show that Hanabusa and U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono, who filed her disclosure in May, are the two most affluent members of Hawaii’s delegation. Both Hanabusa and Hirono have more than $1 million in income and assets, according to the reports.

In 2014, the Center for Responsive Politics found that for the first time in history most members of Congress were considered millionaires.

Like Schatz, Hirono and Hanabusa both receive state pensions. Hirono’s disclosure form states her is worth $51,258 while Hanabusa’s contains a range of $15,001 to $50,000.

Hanabusa’s form states her spouse, John Souza, also receives a state pension worth between $50,001 and $100,000. Souza’s company, Pueo Enterprises, is also listed as an asset in the report.

Assets belonging to Hirono’s spouse, Leighton Oshima, are also included in her disclosure form, such as a commercial property located on Waialae Avenue in Honolulu and hundreds of thousands of dollars in mutual fund investments.

The report states they also own a residential rental property in Honolulu that earns them $15,001 and $50,000 a year in rent.

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