WASHINGTON — Former Staten Island Rep. Vito Fossella rewarded several of the congressional staffers who stuck with him when he was shamed out of office last year with massive, taxpayer-funded pay hikes.
Fossella, who decided not to seek re-election after his drunken-driving arrest in May led to revelations of a love child with his mistress, distributed handsome raises to staffers who remained at his side till the bitter end of his term.
Promoted from office manager to chief of staff, Vicki Hook got an 80 percent boost in pay. Before the promotion, Hook was paid $90,782 a year.
But her salary for the last three months with Fossella jumped to $40,946.25 — a rate that would have amounted to $163,785 for a full year, according to a Post analysis of congressional salary data compiled by Legistorm.com.
Legislative assistant Aaron Ringel saw his salary go up 123 percent, from an average of $2,688 per month to $6,100.
Jonathan Taets, Fossella’s communications director, received a 54 percent raise, from $59,910 per year to what would have come to $92,520 a year.
By the end of last year, Fossella’s staff had dwindled from 16 full-time staffers to 11. Despite losing almost a third of his employees, his spending on salaries remained constant, funding bonuses for those who remained.
Members of Congress get an office allowance they use for rent, equipment, some travel expenses and salaries.
Records compiled by Legistorm reveal differences in how New Yorkers allot the funds.
Rep. Charles Rangel, for example, keeps a small staff and pays his aides well. His staffers made an average of $64,207 last year, and his highest-paid employee made more than $162,000 last year.
The lowest-paying New Yorker is Brooklyn Rep. Edolphus Towns, who paid his large staff of 23 people an average of $36,088 last year. Towns paid just under $82,000 to his top staffer.