The Blubber

Please see original article: https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2024/12/18/nancy_pelosi_profited_as_luxury_napa_resort_won_covid-19_bailout_1078263.html

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The Auberge du Soleil, a luxurious five-star hotel and spa perched on a hillside overlooking Napa Valley’s vineyards, has long been known for its world-class offerings. With rooms often costing $2,000 a night and attracting A-list celebrities and tech moguls, the resort appears to be thriving. However, financial records suggest it did not yield significant returns for some investors, including Rep. Nancy Pelosi and her husband, Paul Pelosi, until it received millions in COVID-19 relief funds during 2020 and 2021.

Financial Turnaround Amid Pandemic Relief

Paul Pelosi, who has held a stake in the French Riviera-inspired resort for decades, reported minimal profits or even losses in some years, according to Nancy Pelosi's financial disclosures. Typically, the investment yielded between $50,000 and $100,000 annually. But in 2021, the year the resort received bailout funds, Pelosi's financial filings show the family’s income from the investment soared to a range of $1 million to $5 million.

The Auberge du Soleil, which briefly shut down at the onset of the pandemic before quickly recovering, received about $9 million in taxpayer-funded COVID-19 relief. This assistance came through programs intended to aid struggling businesses during the crisis. Despite its luxurious image, the resort was among several businesses tied to the Pelosi family that benefited from government bailouts.

Broader Pandemic Relief Tied to Pelosi’s Interests

A review by RealClearInvestigations revealed that Pelosi-linked properties and investments collectively received around $28 million in COVID-19 relief, a total higher than previously known. This included not only the Auberge but also other businesses, such as Piatti, an Italian restaurant chain, and the El Dorado, a boutique hotel in Sonoma County.

Pelosi, as Speaker of the House during the pandemic, played a key role in overseeing the federal stimulus efforts, which amounted to $5.5 trillion. She championed these measures as essential to saving the economy, criticizing Republicans for delaying additional spending.

Public and Ethical Scrutiny

The exact profits the Pelosi family gained from these relief efforts remain unclear, as financial disclosures only provide ranges rather than precise figures. Critics have questioned the ethics of lawmakers benefiting from programs they helped authorize, with some pointing to a broader issue of financial conflicts of interest in Congress.

Nancy Pelosi has also faced scrutiny over her husband’s investment activities, including his well-timed stock trades, particularly in the tech sector. In 2022, the Pelosi household reportedly achieved a 65% return on trades, surpassing even top hedge fund managers. This trading success has fueled public criticism, although Pelosi's spokesperson has consistently denied her involvement in her husband’s transactions.

Expanded Relief Efforts and Legislative Changes

Early rounds of pandemic relief, such as the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), faced criticism for awarding funds to businesses owned by lawmakers. Following public outcry, Congress tightened eligibility requirements, barring loans to companies where lawmakers or their spouses held a controlling interest of 20% or more. Nevertheless, disclosures show that businesses tied to the Pelosi family still benefited from additional waves of funding authorized in late 2020 and early 2021.

Luxurious Holdings Amid a National Crisis

The Auberge du Soleil and other Pelosi-linked properties continue to stand as symbols of indulgence and affluence. While many businesses genuinely struggled during the pandemic, the financial windfall for these investments has drawn attention to how emergency relief funds were allocated—and who ultimately benefited from them.