Representatives reflect priorities in staff
WASHINGTON — When it comes to hiring and paying staffers, congressional representatives from upstate New York and the Hudson Valley take different approaches.
The Gannett Washington bureau surveyed 10 House offices to find out who their staffers are, how they got their jobs, how long they’ve been there, how much they earn and what work they do.
House members receive, on average, $1.4 million a year to pay staff salaries, rent district offices, buy office supplies, mail letters to their constituents and cover other expenses in operating their offices at home and in Washington.
The two lawmakers who spent the most on staff salaries during the first six months of the year were Democratic Reps. Eliot Engel of the Bronx and Maurice Hinchey of Hurley in Ulster County. Each spent more than $500,000.
Freshman Rep. Dan Maffei, D-DeWitt, Onondaga County, spent the least — $355,765. Rep. Scott Murphy, D-Glens Falls, Warren County, spent even less — $86,621 — but he didn’t take office until April after a special election.
House members aren’t allowed to hire more than 22 employees, and they can’t pay any one staffer more than $168,411, but other hiring decisions are up to them.
Members of Congress earn $174,000, with more for leadership positions.
Most of the 10 lawmakers surveyed employ the maximum number of staffers.
Two congressmen serving their first terms, Murphy and Chris Lee, R-Clarence, Erie County, have the smallest staffs. Lee employed 16 staffers as of June 30. Murphy employed 15. Both are former businessmen.
Women hold the chief-of-staff spot in three offices — those of Nita Lowey, D-Harrison, Warren County; John Hall, D-Dover, Dutchess County; and Maffei. That’s roughly the same ratio as in the House as a whole, where 33 percent of offices were led by a female chief of staff, according to a Women’s Campaign Forum survey of 413 out of 435 offices.
The salaries and other office expenses are reported publicly every three months to the Clerk of the House, which publishes books listing the reports. Starting Nov. 30 the data in those period reports will be published on the Internet by the House Office of the Chief Administrative Officer.
In the meantime, a Web site called Legistorm (www.legistorm.com) transfers the data to the Web. The information listed below, the top paid staffers in congressional offices, is from Legistorm.
Eric Massa
Massa, D-Corning, Steuben County, recently told the daily newspaper in Hornell that he doesn’t pay his staff much. But his chief of staff, Joseph Racalto, made $67,381 in the first six months of 2009, according to documents filed with the Clerk of the House. On an annual basis, that’s $134,762. In an interview, Massa said he meant his staff makes less than most other congressional staffers with equivalent experience. And he said congressional staffers earn less than their counterparts in the private sector.
“My chief of staff has had 14 years of experience on the Hill, and he is compensated at the lower end of his peer group,” Massa said.
Racalto formerly worked for Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts, serving last year as Frank’s senior policy adviser. Prior to 2008, Racalto was a legislative assistant for the Massachusetts congressman for five years.
Massa’s No. 2 staffer in terms of pay is District Director David Marion, who made $44,500 through June 30, translating to $89,000 annually.
No. 3 is Communications Director Jared Smith, a Pittsford native, who made $27,689 in the first six months of this year, putting him in a position to earn $55,378 this year.
The highest-paid woman on Massa’s staff is Lindsey Dickens, his executive assistant, who is scheduled to earn about $42,306 this year. Dickens received a raise in the second quarter.
Massa’s highest-paid staffers (first six months of 2009):
1. Joseph Racalto, chief of staff, $67,381.
2. David H. Marion, district director, $44,500.
3. Jared Smith, communications director, $27,689.
4. Ronald S. Hikel, legislative director, $22,278.
5. Lindsey L. Dickens, executive assistant, $19,806.
Chris Lee
Lee, R-Clarence, Erie County, a freshman elected last November, interviewed every staff member he hired at the beginning of this year.
“I spent my time and what I tried to do is get a blend of historical knowledge of the district and one that fit my view on communication,” he said. “There’s a lot of competition and we’ve put together a very solid team.”
Lee’s 15 employees are about evenly split between Washington and his two district offices.
Brian Schubert, who served as communications director for the House Republican Conference in 2008, joined Lee’s congressional staff Jan. 5 as chief of staff. Schubert earned $111,083 in the 12 months ending Sept. 30, 2008. Schubert’s former deputy, Michael Ricci, joined Lee’s office as communications director the same day.
Lee filled many other staff positions with people who had worked for his predecessor, former Republican Rep. Tom Reynolds, and had western New York experience.
Legislative Director Kelly Anne Dixon held the same title with Reynolds. Other former Reynolds’ staffers include District Director Nicholas Langworthy and Regional Manager Paul Cole.
Erin Baker, who served as an executive assistant to Reynolds, earned $23,603 in the first six months of 2009.
Lee’s highest-paid staffers (first six months of 2009):
1. Brian Schubert, chief of staff, $59,401.
2. Kelly Anne Dixon, legislative director, $40,017.
3. Michael Ricci, communications director, $39,606.
4. Nicholas Langworthy, district director, $36,667.
5. Paul Cole, regional manager, $30,717.
Dan Maffei
Daniel Krupnick was paid $93,000 last year as campaign manager for Maffei, D-DeWitt, Onondaga County. Maffei said the two agreed that Krupnick would help set up the freshman congressman’s office and then leave after the transition was completed, so Krupnick worked as chief of staff from Jan. 6 through September. Maffei’s new chief of staff is Jill Allen Murray, who was deputy chief of staff and legislative director since Jan. 3. Murray worked until Jan. 2 as policy director for Missouri Rep. Russ Carnahan.
The other top-paid staffer is District Director Michael Whyland who, like Krupnick, worked on last year’s campaign. A former congressional staffer himself, Maffei said he looks to hire employees who can write and prioritize.
“Essentially, I am looking for the best combination of people I can find — good skills, good work ethic and people who are interested in doing this job,” he said. “It’s a tough job. The hours are absurd. The pay may seem really good until you realize all the expenses of living in Washington.”
Terre Dennis, who handles constituent services for Maffei, worked for his Republican predecessor, Rep. Jim Walsh, and also for former Republican Rep. Sherwood Boehlert.
“I appreciate that she is a Republican,” Maffei said. “My job is to represent everyone in my district, regardless of party. I actually like having a little diversity of views on my staff.”
Maffei’s highest-paid staffers (first six months of 2009):
1. Daniel Krupnick, chief of staff, $58,333.
2. Michel Joseph Whyland, district director, $53,472.
3. Jill Allen Murray, deputy chief of staff and legislative director, $45,014.
4. Terre Dennis, constituent services representative, $24,861.
5. Abigail Gardner, communications director, $22,708.
Louise Slaughter
Slaughter, D-Fairport, said she doesn’t know whether women will ever achieve equality among congressional staffers, but they do hold top positions on the Rules Committee, which she chairs.
Majority Staff Director Muftiah Marie McCartin earned $86,250 in the first six months of 2009; Chief Counsel Katharine Sophie Hayford earned $85,348.
Slaughter said women have worked for her as chiefs of staff in the past, and two of her district offices are run by women.
“A lot of what we do here many times is based on longevity,” she said.
Slaughter’s chief of staff now is Gregory Regan, who was promoted from legislative assistant in March. As recently as fiscal 2006, Regan was a staff assistant earning $30,399.
Shared employee Vicki Lynn Irving drew a salary from eight congressional offices as a senior technology administrator, earning a combined $74,532 in the first six months of this year.
Slaughter’s office paid a fraction of Irving’s total compensation.
Slaughter’s highest-paid staffers (first six months of 2009):
1. Gregory Regan, chief of staff (promoted in March), $40,833.
2. Michelle Adams, legislative director (last day was May 8), $37,916.
3. Christopher Zeltmann, director of economic development, $29,000.
4. John Monsif, legislative director (promoted May 11), $27,417.
5. Patricia Larke, congressional aide, $27,208.
To learn more
For more on Legistorm, go to www.legistorm.com.
