The Speaker Emerita of the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.), has been seen basking in the Italian sun at the luxurious Villa dEste on Lake Como during her August recess.
The opulent Italian villa, where nightly rates can exceed $3,000, is a favorite among the wealthy and influential.
According to The Washington Free Beacon, Pelosi's stay at the property spanned from August 25 to August 28. The Villa dEste, a "gold-drenched wonder of a luxury hotel, obscenely opulent at every turn," as described by the Times of London in May 2024, has a rich history dating back to 1567.
Initially a residence for the Cardinal of Como, it transitioned into a hotel in 1873 after changing hands among several affluent families.
Pelosi, whose net worth is estimated at $260 million, has faced criticism over her wealth accumulation during her public service career. Critics argue that she and her venture capitalist husband, Paul Pelosi, have leveraged her privileged position in government for personal gain.
Paul Pelosi has been involved in a series of well-timed stock trades, including the sale of $500,000 worth of Visa stock just before the federal government filed antitrust charges against the credit card giant. He also sold 5,000 shares of Microsoft stock ahead of a Federal Trade Commission probe.
Pelosi, now 85 years old, served as the leader of the House Democratic Caucus from 2007 until 2023, with eight of those years as speaker. Following the Democrats' loss of the House majority in 2022, she assumed the honorific role of "Speaker Emerita," a title that did not exist before she began using it.
Despite her long tenure, which began in 1987, Pelosi shows no signs of retiring. She plans to run for reelection in the 2026 midterm elections, facing a primary challenge from Saikat Chakrabarti, a tech entrepreneur and former chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.). Chakrabarti's financial disclosures suggest he may be even wealthier than the former speaker.
Pelosi is not the only Democrat to seek refuge from the Washington D.C. grind at Lake Como. Maryland governor Wes Moore, often mentioned as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, was seen shirtless with his wife aboard George Clooneys yacht. Clooney, a regular at the Villa dEste, has expressed enthusiastic support for a Moore presidential campaign, stating to CNN in April that the governor was "levitating above" other potential contenders.
Clooney's Lake Como estate has served as a base for his political activities. He penned the op-ed that he believes persuaded former president Joe Biden to abandon his 2024 reelection campaign from an office in his mansion.
He has also hosted former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama in the picturesque Italian lake town.
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