Politics & Government

Runyan Among Most Generous with Staff Bonuses

Congressman Jon Runyan increased his staff's payroll by more than 60 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012—but that pales in comparison to some of his colleagues.

Congressman Jon Runyan (R-3) was among the top 10 most generous representatives when it came to giving out year-ended bonuses in 2012, according to watchdog website LegiStorm, which tracks congressional pay. 

Runyan's quarterly payroll for House staff increased from $200,422 through the first three quarters of 2012 to $319,170 in the fourth quarter of the year. In the same time period, the average salary increased from $13,695 to $22,381—a 63.43 percent jump, according to LegiStorm.

Of the top 10 members of Congress most generous with year-end bonuses, nine were Republicans, including Runyan. The most generous, however, was Democrat Gary Ackerman, of New York.  

Find out what's happening in Cinnaminsonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

According to the Huffington Post, House staffers typically get bonuses at the end of the year depending on how much is left in the office budget. On average in 2012, those bumps were just 16.4 percent for Republicans and 15.1 percent for Democrats. Bonuses are not labeled as such in the congressional books, but LegiStorm is able to count them by comparing the increase in reported salary in the fourth quarter to the average of the first three quarters.

Runyan—who was first elected to Congress in 2010—began his second term this year after defeating Democratic challenger Shelley Adler, widow of the late Congressman John Adler, last fall. 

Find out what's happening in Cinnaminsonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here