New York, NY – Mayor Bloomberg Dishes Out $1 Million for Campaign Staff

New York, NY – Mayor Bloomberg’s campaign staff found a little something extra – more than $1 million in bonuses for a job well done.

Workers said they found bonuses equal to 20% of their campaign paychecks direct-deposited into their bank accounts.

Bloomberg gave his staff similar 20% bonuses four years ago, when he won by almost 20 points – though his margin of victory last month was below 5 points.

The full amount of the bonuses won’t be released until Bloomberg’s campaign files its final report Jan. 15.

Top campaign officials can expect to get paid more: Four years ago, when Deputy Mayor Kevin Sheekey ran Bloomberg’s campaign, he got a $700,000 bonus.

The billionaire mayor has a history of helping those who help him, paying $850,000 worth of bonuses after his 2001 election and $1.55 million in 2005.

He spent at least $102 million on his third campaign – though he tried to dampen expectations of big payouts.

Employees who left City Hall to join the campaign were paid at their old city salaries, and didn’t share in the 8% raises that the mayor’s office staff got this year.

That rule does not appear to apply to Bloomberg’s most trusted aide, First Deputy Mayor Patricia Harris.

She joined the campaign for its final month and was paid $13,750 twice a month, which is equivalent to $330,000 a year – even though her city salary is $227,219.