Congressman drew $15,000 in salary from his campaign

A first-term congressman drew a salary from his campaign for office last fall, his office said.

Rep. Eric Massa (D-N.Y.) pocketed about $15,000 in campaign funds, the Buffalo News reported Sunday, while his wife was paid $18,000 for her work as campaign treasurer.

"Eric did draw a meager salary at the end of the 2008 campaign to cover expenses after campaigning full-time for four years," Massa's spokesman told the News. "There aren't many people who have spent more time or effort working for the privilege of serving the families of their congressional district's than Rep. Massa."

Massa unseated Rep. Randy Kuhl (R) in New York's 29th congressional district last  fall. The district is traditionally Republican-leaning, and Massa is expected to face a tough Republican challenge in 2010, though the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the district as "lean Democratic."

The Hill reported in November that more than two dozen members of Congress have paid family members for campaign work, a practice which isn't illegal but draws the ire of some watchdog groups.

The watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) criticized Massa's salary, saying "voters should be concerned."