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Utah delegation reports 2004 income, assets and liabilities
This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2005, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

WASHINGTON - Sen. Orrin Hatch made $14,839 from royalties as a songwriter and author. Not exactly superstar money, but it was enough business that he hired legal representation to negotiate his future contracts.

Rep. Jim Matheson has three silver dollars that he estimates are worth several hundred dollars each, but he couldn't tell you what makes them so valuable.

And Rep. Rob Bishop, a high school teacher before coming to Congress, still lives very much like a teacher.

Those are the tidbits within otherwise unremarkable reports filed by Utah's congressional delegation, disclosing the status of their personal finances in 2004.

Hatch has written lyrics to songs on several albums and movies, mostly patriotic and religious fare. He has said writing is a creative outlet.

One of his songs, "Heal Our Land," was performed at President Bush's inauguration in January.

His financial disclosure released Tuesday shows that Hatch has agreed to pay the law firm of Greenberg Traurig 5 percent of any contracts they negotiate for him, and to cover the firm's expenses in representing him.

Traurig also has a large lobbying presence in Washington, representing major interests such as Viacom, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

The disclosures are limited in what they reveal. Members don't have to include the values of their primary residences or spousal salary and only have to disclose assets and debts in broad ranges.

Senators and House members make a base salary of $158,100.

Matheson said his coins - three silver dollars he was talked into buying several years ago - don't exactly qualify as a collection.

He said he doesn't remember what made them valuable when he bought them or what year they were minted.

"I spent a few hundred bucks on it when I bought the three. I'm not sure its even worth $1,000," but he said he lists it anyway to be safe. "I'm not a member of the numismatic society, or whatever they call it."

In addition to his coin collection, Matheson has a number of investments worth between $260,000 and $870,000.

Bishop continues to draw a teacher's pension worth $24,854 and has investments valued at $2,000 to $30,000.

He also has a balance of $15,000 to $50,000 on his MBNA America credit card.

Rep. Chris Cannon's report is relatively unchanged from last year, showing between $3 million and $12.4 million in assets, including a sizable loan to Cannon Industries Inc., and stock in an Illinois company, Advanced Resin Systems, each valued at between $1 million and $5 million.

His only liability is a mortgage on a Salt Lake City condominium.

Cannon's net worth has nose-dived in the past several years through a series of bad business deals and loans. In 1998, he reported a minimum of $12.2 million in assets, with the high-end value estimated at $51.5 million.

As he does each year, Sen. Bob Bennett filed for a 90-day extension for his filing.

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