That’s what the Federal Times found today after combing through three decades of pension records:
For some retired House representatives and senators, the perks of retirement are astounding. Two retired lawmakers earned annuities of more than $200,000, until one died this year. In all, at the beginning of 2012, four retired lawmakers earned pensions that were greater than the $174,000 salary that senators and representatives earn, according to the data, which Federal Times obtained from the Office of Personnel Management via the Freedom of Information Act. OPM refused to release the retired lawmakers’ names or redacted pension records to Federal Times, citing privacy concerns.
These super-pensions are far more common for retired lawmakers than federal employees. USA Today and New Jersey’s Asbury Park Press, which, like Federal Times, are owned by Gannett, in August reported that more than 21,000 of the 1.9 million retired federal employees earn six-figure pensions — or a little more than 1 percent of all retirees. But 79 of the 463 retired lawmakers still alive — or 17 percent — get more than $100,000 in pensions.
