Former Colorado Senate President Peter Groff, a Democrat, awarded seven staffers a total of nearly $30,000 in bonuses before he left office to take a job with the Obama administration in Washington, D.C.
Senate Republicans said the bonuses were inappropriate during a state budget crisis, noting that they gave none this year. Thousands of state workers face at least four furlough days this year and they will get no pay raises, and a statewide hiring freeze remains in effect.
But records from the previous year show that Senate Republicans gave their staffers heftier bonuses than Democrats did, with seven GOP employees sharing $37,000. Democrats handed out $26,250 in bonuses that year.
It is a long-standing practice for Democratic and Republican leaders in the Senate to hand out bonuses to staffers. House officials say employees there have not received bonuses since at least 2004. The money comes from whatever is left over in the budgets for the Senate Republicans and Democrats at the end of the session.
Nonpartisan staffers also get bonuses at times, with three Senate workers receiving bonuses totaling $10,750 this year.
Groff, who was named director of the Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Center for the U.S. Department of Education, said his employees deserved the performance bonuses. In all, he authorized $29,750 to seven Democratic staffers.
“They worked hard, and it was a difficult session,” Groff said. “They could make much more money in the private sector, but they decided to forgo that for public service.”
The bonuses were first reported Monday by The Associated Press.
Groff’s chief of staff, Khadija Haynes, was awarded $5,500 in addition to a salary of $81,900. Terry Whitney, the majority legislative director, received a $5,250 bonus on top of his $66,000 salary. Meanwhile, Groff’s assistant, Jennifer McIntire, received a $5,000 bonus in addition to her $44,100 salary.
“Those folks were with me early in the morning and late at night and went way above their position descriptions,” Groff said.
Four other staffers received bonuses ranging from $1,500 to $4,500.
Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, said the Senate GOP gave no bonuses and actually returned $11,000 to state coffers from its payroll budget.
“During difficult times, symbolic decisions matter,” Penry said, adding that “it sent a bad message” to award bonuses in a year when budget troubles consumed lawmakers.
Former Sen. Andy McElhany, R-Colorado Springs, who was then the Senate minority leader, said in a memo at the time that the GOP staffers “worked longer hours and performed their duties in an outstanding way. Their job performance was extraordinary.”
Asked about those Republican bonuses, Penry said, “That was a different leader and during different economic times.”
Groff had another reaction: “Wow. They put me to shame.”
Tim Hoover: 303-954-1626 or thoover@denverpost.com
