Connecticut lawmakers pay staffers $1.2 million

HARTFORD — Connecticut’s five congressmen paid $1.2 million to 104 employees in the second quarter, according to the website Legistorm, including 14 who made more than $20,000.Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-3) had the most expensive staff, $267,900, while Rep. John Larson (D-1) had the most employees who made more than $20,000 during the quarter: five, including two executive assistants.Rep. Chris Murphy (D-5) paid 18 employees a total of $221,782. He is on track to pay his staff just over $900,000 this year, the least costly of the delegation.Murphy is running for U.S. Senate. He faces former Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz of Middletown and state Rep. William Tong of Stamford in the Democratic primary.Just behind Murphy was Rep. Jim Himes (D-4), who paid 22 employees $229,094. His office is also on track to spend less than $1 million this year.Francis Creighton, chief of staff for Murphy, made $36,000 this quarter. Joseph “Joe” W. Dunn, Murphy’s legislative director, earned $20,625.Himes’ chief of staff, Jason Cole, earned $35,499 for the quarter. He didn’t pay any other employees more than $20,000 for the quarter.Larson paid 22 employees $254,093. He is on track to pay his staff more than $1.1 million for the year.Shelley Marie Rubino earned $21,562.50 as chief executive director for Larson’s office and the same amount from the House Democratic Caucus as advisor to the chairman (Larson) for total quarterly income of $43,125. John F. Rossi III, district chief of staff, made $32,499.99.Maureen T. Moriarty, Larson’s constituency director, earned $22,100.01. Two senior executive assistants, Lee Alexander Slater and Linda Christiana, earned just over $22,000 each.DeLauro paid 20 employees $267,900. She is on track to pay her staff more than $1 million this year.Leticia “Letty” Mederos made $31,577.01 as assistant to DeLauro on the House Appropriations Committee plus $8,576.50 as her chief of staff for a total quarterly income of $40,153.51.District director Jennifer Cosenza Lamb made $27,500.01; legislative director Daniel “Dan” L. Zeitlin, $21,750; and Connecticut scheduler Mara R. Saccente, $20,000.01.Rep. Joe Courtney (D-2) paid 22 employees $250,730. He is on track to pay his employees over $1 million for the year.In 2007 and 2008, Courtney’s office spent the most out of the Connecticut delegation when all expenses, including salaries, were tallied.Jason John Gross, Courtney’s chief of staff, made $39,369.99 for the quarter. His district director, Jennifer “Jenny” Contois Concetta, earned $23,225.01.Zachary Janowski is an investigative reporter for the Yankee Institute, which publishes the online magazine Raising Hale (www.raisinghale.com). He is a former editor of The Southington Citizen.

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