From The Colorado Observer

Big Money Front and Center in 2nd Congressional District Contests
2/23/2012
By Tina Nguyen

WASHINGTON, DC – During his formal campaign kickoff announcement earlier this month, Boulder-based investment banker Eric Weissman joked that he would not be able to “out Jared Jared” in his effort to unseat the incumbent, Democratic Congressman Jared Polis.

Though the comment was a subtle dig at Polis's self-financing abilities -- the sixth richest member of Congress, the tech entrepreneur has an estimated worth of nearly $66 million dollars according to Roll Call -- the issue of wealth has new significance for this year's race. A recent insider trading scandal has tied Polis to a widespread practice among Congressmen who use their exclusive access to non-public information to make investments.

The practice is illegal for most Americans, but not for Members of Congress -- a little known fact. That is, until recently, when a joint investigation by 60 Minutes and Peter Schweizer of Stanford University's Hoover Foundation uncovered multiple incidents that would normally be classified as insider trading by lawmakers.

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