Fact Check: Is Kyrsten Sinema Worth $11 Million?

Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema faced scrutiny this week after a report alleged she used campaign money to pay for hotel stays while taking part in several marathons.

According to the Daily Beast, Sinema participated in a race while engaging in fundraising activity where that competition took place on at least six occasions since 2019, with records stating her campaign spent thousands of dollars on accommodation.

In the midst of this, a social media post also suggested that the now-Independent senator has amassed a net worth of $11 million since 2018.

The Claim

A Reddit post, published on May 16, 2023, which received 6,000 upvotes, stated: "What's the deal with Kyrsten Sinema's net worth, going from $32k before office to $11 million today?"

The post includes a link to a website called CAKnowledge, which claims her net worth is $11 million, with a list of assets including cars, a $4 million home, and six stocks valued at $1 million.

CAKnowledge states her net worth was $5 million in 2018, growing to $11 million by 2022.

The Facts

CAKnowledge has previously shared dubious and unevidenced claims about U.S. public figures. A 2022 investigation by Newsweek's Fact Check team found no evidence for a claim it made that Lauren Boebert was worth $41 million.

Further unevidenced claims included that Tucker Carlson was worth $400 million and that Joe Biden owns two luxury yachts.

A more recent claim investigated by Newsweek's Misinformation Watch, that Hunter Biden was worth $230 million, was also unfounded.

Nevertheless, we can start examining the $11 million claim using Sinema's senatorial financial disclosures.

In 2022, Sinema listed a $24,174.15 Arizona State University teaching fee and two assets, both retirement plans, each listed between $15,001 and $50,000.

An educational liability of between $15,001-$50,000 was also listed.

Even with a Senate yearly salary of $174,000 (putting her total salary at roughly around $200,000), this does not touch the side of the figure quoted by CAKnowledge.

Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings show the "Sinema for Arizona" fund received $13.8 million in total campaign contributions from 2019 to 2023, with cash on hand at the close of the last reporting period (2023) of $10 million.

This is, of course, separate from her net worth and is not referenced in the piece by CAKnowledge.

While the Opencorporates database also lists Sinema as a manager of Forza Consulting LLC and an agent of Sinema Consulting LLC, documentation for both organizations mentions no corporate activity.

A spokesman for Sinema told The Intercept in February 2023 that "Forza Consulting was formed in the early 2000's but never engaged in any business or transaction."

The claims that Sinema owns five cars including a $110,000 Audi RS Q8, and a $4 million home, are also cited with no sources.

The site also mention non-financial claims, such as that her favorite musical artist is Eminem and her favorite food is burritos.

Newsweek found no evidence for any of these claims.

It's not inconceivable that if Sinema's $5 million worth in 2018 had been all part of an investment portfolio, it could have grown to $11 million by 2022.

However, there's no evidence that she holds such investments, as per requirements under the STOCK Act.

The 2012 law states that members of Congress must "file reports within 30 to 45 days after receiving notice of a purchase, sale, or exchange which exceeds $1,000 in stocks, bonds, commodities futures, and other forms of securities and subject to any waivers and exclusions."

A database of Congressional members' financial filings called Capitol Trades lists no trading activity by Sinema in the last three years.

It therefore appears that CAKnowledge's claim that Kyrsten Sinema is worth $11 million is without evidence.

A spokesperson for Sinema pointed to the senator's recent financial disclosures, saying that they indicated her net worth could not be more than $85,000.

"It's up to news outlets to call out disinformation when they see it. This is disinformation from a sham website that's verifiably false," the spokesperson added.

Newsweek has emailed an administrator for CAKnowledge for comment.

The Ruling

False.

Sinema's combined salary, as listed by financial disclosures, shows she earns around $200,000 per year. While campaign contributions reach closer to the $11 million figure listed by CAKnowledge, these are not part of her net worth.

The central claim by CAKnowledge (which has repeatedly made unfounded claims about the net worth of other public figures) that Sinema's net worth has grown from $5 million to $11 million since 2018, is presented without evidence, and her spokesperson has highlighted financial disclosures that indicate her net worth could not be more than $85,000.

FACT CHECK BY Newsweek's Fact Check team

Update 5/17/23, 6:30 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with a statement and additional information from Kyrsten Sinema's spokesperson, and consequently the ruling has also been updated to False.