A candidate in the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania's First Congressional District was spotted driving a Mercedes E Class BlueTEC luxury sedan to a recent campaign event despite telling a local paper he doesn't "drive fancy cars."
Scott Wallace, who inherited a large sum of money after his grandfather's company was bought for billions of dollars by Dupont in the 1990s, attended a campaign event at the Ancient Order of Hibernians in Bristol, Pa., on March 10. He left the event in the Mercedes, according to a source who attended the event. The 2014 Mercedes E Class BlueTEC, which appears to be registered in Wallace's wife's name, originally retailed for between $50,000 and $60,000.
The trip in the Mercedes came a few weeks before the Philadelphia Enquirer published an interview with Wallace where he attempted to downplay his personal wealth. The paper estimated Wallace to be worth between $127 million and $309 million, potentially making him the third-richest congressman were he to win his election, based on an analysis of financial records. Wallace argued in response that he was only worth about $100 million and that he doesn't own or use a number of luxury items.
"I do have substantial assets," Wallace told the Philadelphia Enquirer. "I do not have a jet. I do not have a yacht. I do not drive fancy cars. I drive a Chevy. I grew up in Doylestown. I waited tables. I pumped gas."
Bucks County, which contains most of Pennsylvania's first district, has a median household income of $79,559 per year and a per capita income of $39,958 per year, according to the Census Bureau.
The Wallace campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.