Condit Aides Got Big Raises

Roll Call ^ | June 24, 2002 | Amy Keller

[callisto]

House payroll records show that Rep. Gary Condit (D-Calif.) significantly increased the salaries of three key staffers in the days following the revelation that he was romantically involved with Chandra Levy, a young Washington intern who went missing last year and recently was found dead in Rock Creek Park.

A Roll Call analysis of Condit’s payroll records, as disclosed in the quarterly Statement of Disbursements of the House, revealed that the embattled Congressman gave significant pay raises to two top aides — Administrative Assistant Mike Dayton and Chief of Staff Michael Lynch — as the Levy investigation heated up.

The Congressman also awarded significant pay raises to his longtime executive secretary, Jackie Mullen, more than doubling her salary in just two years and making her one of the highest-paid secretaries in Congress by pushing her close to the $100,000 mark — a salary typically earned only by chiefs of staff in Members’ offices. Mullen works out of Condit’s district office in Modesto.

According to public records, Mullen made about $43,000 in 1999, and her annual salary for 2000 increased to about $57,000 — but thanks to tremendous leaps in pay she began receiving around the time the Levy controversy exploded, her annual salary for 2001 jumped to about $99,000. Her pay jump first appeared in payroll records covering the period from April 1, 2001 through June 30, 2001. She was paid $34,749 for those three months, whereas she only earned $16,511 during the three months prior to that.

For the first quarter of 2002, which began Jan. 3 and ended March 31, Mullen raked in $26,444 — a rate of pay that would give her an annual salary of about $105,800.

Mullen is one of several Condit staffers who went to bat for the House Member last August on CNN’s "Larry King Live." Condit also appeared on the show around the same time to defend himself against speculation that he was involved in Levy’s disappearance; he was interviewed by police several times but was not called a suspect.

Dayton and Lynch also received considerable pay hikes from Condit as news of Levy’s disappearance spilled onto front pages last year.

Dayton earned about $82,000 annually in 1999 and his salary totaled $95,000 in 2000, but his pay jumped to about $115,000 in 2001 following the Levy controversy — his pay jumped by $10,000 to $33,166 for the three months ending Sept. 30, 2001 — and this year he earned $34,222 in just three months.

If he continues to be paid at that rate, Dayton — who has tirelessly defended Condit to the press over the past year — would make an annual salary of about $137,000, only slightly less than the $150,000 that rank-and-file Members earn themselves.

By law, Congressional staffers are not allowed to earn more than $145,000 per year.

Lynch — the highest-paid staffer on Condit’s staff — earned about $102,000 in 1999 and $114,400 in 2000.

Following the Levy controversy, Lynch’s salary increased by several thousand more dollars, and he earned $127,500 by the end of last year. By contrast, the average salary of a chief of staff was $97,615, according to a 2000 House staff employment study conducted by the Congressional Management Foundation.

For the first quarter of 2002, Lynch earned $34,555. If the Modesto-based staffer continues to be paid at that rate, his annual salary would be about $138,000, making him one of the highest-paid chiefs of staff in Congress.

Lynch is also earning money from the Congressman’s campaign committee. According to documents filed with the Federal Election Commission, the campaign still owes Lynch $5,000 for "consulting services."

Neither Lynch nor Dayton returned phone calls seeking comment on their salaries or Mullen’s salary. But one unidentified Condit staffer said "common sense" should indicate that "hard work, commitment and dedication" resulted in the pay bumps.

But it’s safe to say that their salary hikes will come in handy as the staffers face potential unemployment lines once Condit finishes his last term in Congress.

The salary boosts, it should be pointed out, would also increase the amount of money each staffer will eventually receive as part of their federal retirement. The federal government’s retirement system bases an individual’s pension on the three highest years’ salaries.

Moreover, their padded salaries might also help should they confront their own legal bills.

Lynch recently testified before a grand jury investigating the Levy matter, and Dayton also came under scrutiny last year when he was spotted driving Condit to a trash can in Northern Virginia, where the Congressman mysteriously disposed of a watch case.

The watch case, according to press reports, had contained a gift from a female friend, but neither the Congressman nor Lynch have publicly explained why he was disposing of it in that manner.

Dayton is being represented by top Washington lawyer Stan Brand. Brand has earned his reputation over the years representing a number of Members of Congress facing various legal troubles.

Mullen has also lent herself to the Congressman, speaking favorably on his behalf last August on CNN’s "Larry King Live."

During that television appearance, Mullen — who has worked for Condit since 1983 when he was a member of the California state assembly — said she thought Condit should have made some sort of public statement sooner but defended his right to privacy.

"I would have liked to have seen him go out in the very beginning and say to the media, ‘I’m not going to talk about this. I have nothing to say to you folks. You know this is something that’s between me and my family, this is private,’" Mullen said during the appearance on CNN with her colleagues.

Mullen also told viewers that she thought Condit should not run for re-election: "I think he should not have to put up with what he’s had to put up with. And I think no, I don’t think he should," she said.

She also stated during the television interview that she never once questioned her boss about his relationship with Levy.

"With the rumors that I had heard, I never asked Gary Condit those kinds of questions," Mullen said.

[Diver Dave]

Do we know much about this Jackie Mullen character?

Interesting that Jackie got a raise also.

During our weekly Modesto FReeps of the Dirtbag, Ms. Jackie, on more than one occasion, would pop into the office on Saturday. Condit's office is located in the middle of the block and we were positioned on the corner to the west where we had greater visibility to passing motorists.

Weeellll, Jackie would park in front of the office, hurry inside, lock the door since it was not a scheduled business day, do whatever and then leave as quickly as she arrived. When leaving, however, to avoid those of us gathered on the corner, she whipped a U-Turn in the middle of the block and made her getaway.

One thing I noticed with her appearance on LKL, she had all the warmth and personality of rock. Stage-Fright? Maybe, but the entire group was obviously over-cautious about what they said with very guarded replies to all those "hardball questions" Larry threw at them. /sarcasm.

[piasa]

I'm in the wrong line of work. Anyone know if there's another congressman out there who needs a staffer to cover his @$$?

[Diver Dave]

I asked Dayton at one of the debates for the primary if he had his resume up to date. Told him he'd better get busy.

He asked where I worked, whatever that meant.

The really pathetic thing is that those two guys will just get hired by some other congress-critter or some lobbyist group. Heck, I'd drive all four of them to the unemployment office just for the satisfaction of one more final freep.

[The Great Satan]

Am I the only one more and more interested in Mz Chang who at the end of her career, was an INS attorney?

Did she do anything re:Islamic legal and illegal immigrants?

Chiang worked in the office of Condit's good friend, Howard Berman (D-CA). Condit and Berman, who both have offices in the Rayburn Office Building, worked together on immigration issues pertaining to migrant farm workers in the year 2000, at least ("Condit and Rep. Howard Berman, D-Los Angeles, helped craft the complicated guestworker package that spanned more than 90 pages"). I am unable to dig up any information as to whether they worked together on these issues while Chiang was working in Berman's office, but it seems likely, considering this 1996 story re Conit's key role in passing the Chrysler-Berman bill. I've seen subscription sites which allow you to research details on representatives' legislative history, so somebody might be able to dig up more info. Condit received a $500 campaign donation from Berman in 2000. Berman was the only congressman to donate to his campaign. Politically, Berman is well to the left of Condit, so I assume the donation reflects a strong working relationship. When Chiang vanished in January 1999, Berman offered a reward, much as Condit did when the Levy's told him of Chandra's disappearance. Berman also brought in the FBI at an early stage, lobbying Louis Freeh to get their involvement. Chiang's skeletonized body turned up some months after her disappearance. The case was never solved.

The Murder Victim Next Door

Joyce Chiang Background

[Betty Jo]

Well. I would bet that Condit knew Joyce.

Did she do anything re:Islamic illegals is still a question.

[mewzilla]

A follow the money bump.

[Fred Mertz]

Bumping your Joyce Chiang info.

[MozarkDawg]

A "How obvious can it be" BTTT.

The watch case, according to press reports, had contained a gift from a female friend, but neither the Congressman nor Lynch have publicly explained why he was disposing of it in that manner.

I refused to watch that Connie Chung pad-piece, but didn't she ask Condidit about this? It's been posted here at FR that he told her he was just "dumping trash from his office.," I recall writing that this was some pathetic excuse, so of course, Connie "I'm a professional journalist" Chung naturally didn't follow up with incredulity to it.

[MozarkDawg]

Don't see your name, check this info out -- it's almost unbelievable that Condidit could be this stoopid.

Almost.

[tinacart]

Ping!

[Pistacio]

From my Condit it Archives...Items previously posted at the modbee forum.

First interview with the DCPD, Condit says,
"We were just good friends..."

Second interview with the DCPD, Condit amends and says,
"Broke off good friendship...Chandra became distraught...she was obsessed." Finally...

In third interviewwith the DCPD , Gary says,
"We were having an affair and our last call was routine..."

[cinFLA]

The salary boosts, it should be pointed out, would also increase the amount of money each staffer will eventually receive as part of their federal retirement.

YOUR tax dollars at work.

[hoosiermama]

Was in your neck of the woods today. Drove through Cerce and Modesto on the way back from Yose Mighty! Looks a little bit like northern Indiana only yellow instead of green! YELP! Condidit sure looks guiltier and guiltier to me!

[hoosiermama]

Thanks for the ping! Am visiting in CA now. Actually went through Condit country Friday and Sunday! Stopped at a Krispy Kream to check it out. Nothing unusual!

[Diver Dave]

Should have dropped by Condirt's office and had your picture taken for the old photo album. Come January, a sign painter will be scrapping his name off of the glass.

Maybe they should sell raffle tickets for the honor of doing the scraping. They could raise a fortune in ticket sales. Better yet, I vote to let Jim Robinson do the job. He wouldn't charge a dime for that opportunity.

[Jim Robinson]

Sure, I'd scrape it off. Then scrape if off my shoes. LOL

[OXENinFLA]

VERY Interesting.

[EmmaPeel]

bump for justice

[Ed_in_NJ]

me too