AP Photo/Gerald Herbert
The White House is open for business and as such the first lady, Michelle, has hired roughly 25 staff members that report directly to her. This is a break from the previous two first ladies’; Hillary Clinton managed three employees, while Laura Bush had just one employee.
The magnitude of the first lady’s staff comes at a staggering taxpayer cost of $1.75 million per year. This number doesn’t include federal benefits, this cost is undisclosed.
The salaries rage from $172,200 at the high end to $36,000 on the low end. While most Americans suffer from the global-sized recession, the White House doesn’t seem to be too frugal with its spending practices.
For the link to the White House employee list; www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Annual-Report-to-Congress-on-White-House-Staff-2009/
The following are the names and salaries of Michele Obama’s staff
1. $172,200 - Sher, Susan (Chief Of Staff)
2. $140,000 - Frye, Jocelyn C. (Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Policy and Projects for the First Lady)
3. $113,000 - Rogers, Desiree G. (Special Assistant to the President and White House Social Secretary)
4. $102,000 - Johnston, Camille Y. (Special Assistant to the President and Director of Communications for the First Lady)
5. $102,000 Winter, Melissa E. (Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief Of Staff to the First Lady)
6. $90,000 - Medina, David S. (Deputy Chief Of Staff to the First Lady)
7. $84,000 - Lelyveld, Catherine M. (Director and Press Secretary to the First Lady)
8. $75,000 - Starkey, Frances M. (Director of Scheduling and Advance for the First Lady)
9. $70,000 - Sanders, Trooper (Deputy Director of Policy and Projects for the First Lady)
10. $65,000 - Burnough, Erinn J. (Deputy Director and Deputy Social Secretary)
11. $65,000 - Reinstein, Joseph B. (Deputy Director and Deputy Social Secretary)
12. $62,000 - Goodman, Jennifer R. (Deputy Director of Scheduling and Events Coordinator for the First Lady)
13. $60,000 - Fitts, Alan O. (Deputy Director of Advance and Trip Director for the First Lady)
14. $60,000 - Lewis, Dana M. (Special Assistant and Personal Aide to the First Lady)
15. $52,500 - Mustaphi, Semonti M. (Associate Director and Deputy Press Secretary to the First Lady)
16. $50,000 - Jarvis, Kristen E. (Special Assistant for Scheduling and Traveling Aide to the First Lady)
17. $45,000 - Lechtenberg, Tyler A. (Associate Director of Correspondence for the First Lady)
18. $45,000 - Tubman, Samantha (Deputy Associate Director, Social Office)
19. $40,000 - Boswell, Joseph J. (Executive Assistant to the Chief Of Staff to the First Lady)
20. $36,000 - Armbruster, Sally M. (Staff Assistant to the Social Secretary)
21. $36,000 - Bookey, Natalie (Staff Assistant)
22. $36,000 - Jackson, Deilia A. (Deputy Associate Director of Correspondence for the First Lady)
24. Ingrid Grimes-Miles (Makeup artist)
25. Johnny Wright (First Hairstylist)
For the official White House list; www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Annual-Report-to-Congress-on-White-House-Staff-2009/
For more stories; www.examiner.com/x-10317-San-Diego-County-Political-Buzz-Examiner
Comments (18)
I wonder how she justifies all of this.
I'm sure they believe themselves to be royalty and deserving of constant pampering by us peasants.
I am so tired of these politicians spending like there is no tomorrow on our dime, making laws that the people who pay their salaries must abide by but they do not. Excuse me, but what does Mrs. Obama actually do anyway? Sadly, if this pace keeps up, tax revenues will dry up.
She doesn't have to justify this, she's an Obama!!!! Special,
They are changing America - remember?
Why can't she do with one or two like the former 1st ladies? Is she returning favors or obligations? Are #10 & 11 bookends that only come in a set? Why 2 of the same?
And get this. Michelle Obama took a separate presidential airliner to Denmark, leaving earlier than Mr. Obama. Guess she could not wait to fly over there with her entourage and invited guest, Oprah! Is it just me or are there more pressing issues to deal with than campaigning for Olympics in Chicago??? I fear this ship is going down - fast.
I don't see any salary listed for the Makeup artist, but believe she also gets mega buck to make Michelle look even uglier as she does. This country can't support the inefficiency of this president.
Rags to riches at least We don't have to listen to her directly yet.IMPEACH the non-native before we're an islam nation.
Get you facts straight. Laura Bush's staff varied from 10 to in excess of 15 and topped 1 million plus. And what did she do....nothing!
Hmmm... wonder what numbers 10 & up are doing for a second income - pretty hard to even live in D.C. on less than $70 K a year.
Now, Dvorak, WHERE did you get that balderdash about Laura Bush's staff?
And keep in mind that a 2004 study showed that women (as in the First Lady's staff) were paid on average about 78 percent of what men were paid in the Bush White House.
You guys are player haters.... Don't HATE
Your mama didn't teach you not to call people ugly.
What would Jesus (who created her say)
I can't believe this! Why in this world would she need a staff of 25? She's the First Lady and has no role in real Politics. She's there to stand by Obama and host dinner parties and represent this nation and for that she is missing the one staffer that she really needs---A Stylist, because she has not style of her own.
I bet for the 2nd time in her life she is proud of her Country---for paying for her to have a staff of personal assistants.
I guess she should be happy to be the "little woman," huh, stardust? Stay in the kitchen, barefoot and pregnant?
Your (or your source's) statements about the staffs of other First Ladies are just plain wrong. See this article to find what lies behind this article (hint - it's not by the woman who posted it).
www.themudflats.net/2009/10/26/the-anatomy-and-dissection-of-right-wing-propagana-the-michelle-obama-edition/?cp=3
Oh, you little stenographer, you. You just regurgitated that right-wing talking points email that's floating around, didn't you? For those not adverse to ALL the facts (not just the ones that validate your political point of view), check out this link:
www.snopes.com/politics/obama/firstlady.asp
Keep up the good work! Fox news should be calling any day now...
This is a disgrace....How do WE, as taxpeyers, do something about this over-indulgence by the Obama Whitehouse? If Barbara Bush, Jackie O or Nancy Reagan would have done this, they would have been ridiculed. These are trying times and the actions of this Whitehouse speaks louder than their words...Wake up America. We'll (America) be bankrupt with 3 more years of this lunacy.
This is not accurate. Previous first ladies had even more staff...I would take this article down.
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