Throughout his time in Congress, Calvert has become infamous for prioritizing himself over Southern California. 20 years ago he came under scrutiny for requesting earmarks and advocating for federal funding that was near his real estate holdings. Just last year, Calvert came under scrutiny for doing the exact same thing.
Los Angeles Times In 2024: “Those $16 Million In Planned Improvements Fall Within Several Miles Of Rental Properties That Calvert Owns, Raising Questions About The Extent To Which He Personally Benefits From The Earmarks He’s Secured." According to the Los Angeles Times, "The earmarks, which are line items inserted by members of Congress into federal spending bills, include $9 million to smooth out bottlenecks and add toll lanes along Interstate 15, $2 million to widen a traffic-choked bridge in Corona and $5 million for a planned rail line between Los Angeles and Palm Springs. Those $16 million in planned improvements fall within several miles of rental properties that Calvert owns, raising questions about the extent to which he personally benefits from the earmarks he’s secured." [Los Angeles Times, 7/22/24]
Los Angeles Times In 2006: “A Map Of Calvert’s Recent Real Estate Holdings And Those Of His Partner Shows Many Of Them Near The Transportation Projects He Has Supported With Federal Appropriations.” According to the Los Angeles Times, "A map of Calvert’s recent real estate holdings and those of his partner shows many of them near the transportation projects he has supported with federal appropriations. And improvements to the transportation infrastructure have contributed to the area’s explosive growth, according to development experts." [Los Angeles Times, 5/15/06]
Since 2022, Calvert Had Funneled More Than $100 Million In Federal Funding Into Projects In Riverside County, Including $16 Million In Planned Improvements That Fell Within Several Miles Of Rental Properties He Owned. According to the Los Angeles Times, "Since Congress brought back the legislative process known as earmarking in 2022, few lawmakers have been as successful at securing funds for their district as Rep. Ken Calvert. Calvert, who has been in Congress longer than any other California Republican, has funneled more than $100 million since then into projects in his Riverside County district. The earmarks, which are line items inserted by members of Congress into federal spending bills, include $9 million to smooth out bottlenecks and add toll lanes along Interstate 15, $2 million to widen a traffic-choked bridge in Corona and $5 million for a planned rail line between Los Angeles and Palm Springs. Those $16 million in planned improvements fall within several miles of rental properties that Calvert owns, raising questions about the extent to which he personally benefits from the earmarks he’s secured." [Los Angeles Times, 7/22/24]
Calvert Requested $2 Million To Help Widen A Bridge – He Owned Half A Dozen Properties Within Two Miles Of The Bridge. According to the Los Angeles Times, "Calvert has mostly prioritized projects designed to address traffic congestion. That includes $2 million toward widening a bridge along Magnolia Avenue that connects downtown Corona to a light-industrial area to the east. A study commissioned by the city found that widening the bridge from four lanes to six lanes would stave off some of the worst traffic delays for the next two decades, but that overall, traffic will continue to get worse as the population grows. The $17.5-million project is tentatively slated to be finished in 2027, the city of Corona said. Calvert owns half a dozen properties within two miles of the bridge, including the automotive repair center, a strip of office suites and a self-storage facility." [Los Angeles Times, 7/22/24]
Calvert Secured $3 Million To Add Toll Lanes To The Middle Of Interstate 15 – The Northernmost Part Of The Project Was About Four Miles South Of Calvert’s Rental Properties. According to the Los Angeles Times, "Calvert also secured $3 million for the addition of toll lanes in the center of Interstate 15 that will extend nearly 15 miles through Corona, El Cerrito and Temescal Valley. The northernmost point of the project is about four miles south of Calvert’s rental properties." [Los Angeles Times, 7/22/24]
Calvert Secured $5 Million To Help With A Project That Sought To Improve The Metrolink – One Of The Two Metrolink Lines Running Between LA And Riverside Stopped In Downtown Corona A Few Blocks From Several Of Calvert’s Prosperities. According to the Los Angeles Times, "The RCTC also received $5 million through federal appropriations to help pay for the environmental study for a rail line between downtown L.A. and Palm Springs. The project would use existing Metrolink right-of-way between L.A. and downtown Riverside and would add new tracks in the Coachella Valley, Knudsen said. The routes and stops haven’t been decided yet, but one of the two Metrolink lines running between L.A. and Riverside stops in downtown Corona a few blocks from several of Calvert’s properties." [Los Angeles Times, 7/22/24]
HEADLINE: "Congressional Earmarks Sometimes Used To Fund Projects Near Lawmakers' Properties" [Washington Post, 2/6/12]
2007: Calvert Requested An Earmark To Build A Bus Terminal And Park-And-Ride Center That Was Near Seven Commercial Properties He Owned In Corona. According to the Washington Post, "A few months later, the committee weighed in on the case of Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), who was seeking an earmark to build a bus terminal and park-and-ride center near seven commercial properties he owned in Corona, Calif. Five of them were within one mile of the project; one was less than three blocks away. The committee found no conflict for Calvert. ‘It appears that any increase in the value of your properties resulting from the earmark would be incremental and indirect,’ Tubbs Jones and Hastings wrote, ‘and would be experienced as a member of a class of landholders in the vicinity of the Transit Center.’" [Washington Post, 2/6/12]
Calvert’s Real Estate Firm Brokered The Purchase Of A Property Near A Proposed Highway Interchange, Calvert Got An Earmark To Build The Interchange, And His Firm Brokered The Sale Of The Property At A Profit. According to Business Insider, "In another deal, a group of investors bought property a few blocks from the site of the proposed interchange, for $975,000. Within six months after the earmark for the interchange was appropriated, the parcel of land sold for $1.45 million. Rep. Calvert’s firm received a commission on the sale." [Business Insider, 9/18/09]
2005: Calvert And A Business Partner Bought Vacant Lot Near A Riverside County Air Force Base For $550,000. According to the Los Angeles Times, "Calvert came under scrutiny in the same era, along with Inland Empire Rep. Gary Miller and former House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Illinois), for profits they reported from real estate deals near projects funded through congressional earmarks. In 2005, Calvert and a business partner bought a vacant 4.3-acre lot near an Air Force base in Riverside County for $550,000. In August 2005, President George W. Bush signed a highway bill that included $8 million to build an interchange with Interstate 15, and $1.5 million to support commercial development of the area around the airfield. Calvert and his partner sold the land several months later for $985,000, a 79% profit. Calvert told The Times at the time that people were ‘trying to manufacture controversy, even where there isn’t any,’ and that he had done nothing illegal." [Los Angeles Times, 7/22/24]
August 2005: President George W. Bush Signed A Highway Bill That Included $8 Million To Build An Interchange With Interstate 15 And $1.5 Million To Support Commercial Development Around The Airfield. According to the Los Angeles Times, "Calvert came under scrutiny in the same era, along with Inland Empire Rep. Gary Miller and former House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Illinois), for profits they reported from real estate deals near projects funded through congressional earmarks. In 2005, Calvert and a business partner bought a vacant 4.3-acre lot near an Air Force base in Riverside County for $550,000. In August 2005, President George W. Bush signed a highway bill that included $8 million to build an interchange with Interstate 15, and $1.5 million to support commercial development of the area around the airfield. Calvert and his partner sold the land several months later for $985,000, a 79% profit. Calvert told The Times at the time that people were ‘trying to manufacture controversy, even where there isn’t any,’ and that he had done nothing illegal." [Los Angeles Times, 7/22/24]
Several Months After President Bush Signed The Highway Bill, Calvert And His Business Partner Sold The Land For A 79 Percent Profit At $985,000. According to the Los Angeles Times, "Calvert came under scrutiny in the same era, along with Inland Empire Rep. Gary Miller and former House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Illinois), for profits they reported from real estate deals near projects funded through congressional earmarks. In 2005, Calvert and a business partner bought a vacant 4.3-acre lot near an Air Force base in Riverside County for $550,000. In August 2005, President George W. Bush signed a highway bill that included $8 million to build an interchange with Interstate 15, and $1.5 million to support commercial development of the area around the airfield. Calvert and his partner sold the land several months later for $985,000, a 79% profit. Calvert told The Times at the time that people were ‘trying to manufacture controversy, even where there isn’t any,’ and that he had done nothing illegal." [Los Angeles Times, 7/22/24]