13 Members of Congress Have Family on Payroll

Thirteen members of Congress have placed family members on the campaign payroll.^[1]

The practice is legal, according to the House Ethics Manual, if the payments are made for "bona fide, campaign related services." None of the family members are being paid more than $60,000.

Some critics express concern about the practice because it could be used as a vehicle for campaign donors to directly enrich family members.

According to The Hill, this list includes four who have hired their spouse: Rep. Luis Gutiérrez, D-ill., Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Pa., Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif.

Additionally, five have children on the payroll. That includes Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), Rep. John Duncan Jr., R-Tenn., and Rep. Steve King,, R-Iowa, King has also hired his daughter-in-law.

Finally, Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Wis., Rep. Todd Rokita, R-Ind., and Rep. David Cicilline, (D-R.I., have hired their sister. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., employs his sister-in-law.

In a business where trust is hard to come by, politicians often feel more comfortable working with family members and close friends. Dana Rohrabacher’s campaign treasurer embezzled more than $250,000 from the campaign treasury over the course of several years. Ken Grubbs, a spokesperson for Rohrabacher, said, "Had Mrs. Rohrabacher — who managed other political campaigns before her marriage to the congressman — been working as treasurer, there would have been no embezzlement."

Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology. Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.

Footnotes:

1. The Hill, "More than a dozen lawmakers put family on campaign payroll," November 2, 2017

   Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Dayexplores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology. Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.

   Scott Rasmussen is founder and president of the Rasmussen Media Group. He is the author of "Mad as Hell: How the Tea Party Movement Is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two-Party System," "In Search of Self-Governance," and "The People’s Money: How Voters Will Balance the Budget and Eliminate the Federal Debt." Read more reports from Scott Rasmussen — Click Here Now.