Staffers for Sheldon Silver struck gold before he resigned as Assembly speaker.
Records show that Silver’s chief of staff, Judy Rapfogel, and counsel, James Yates, both got $10,000 raises to boost their salaries from $170,422 in 2014 to $180,503 this year.
Press secretary Michael Whyland saw his annual paycheck go from $114,324 to $125,294.
In other offices, senior staffers said they haven’t had a hike in years.
Assembly members who want more money for their staff must appeal to the speaker for an increase in their allotments.
“The members have not been having their allocations increase in general,” said Cathy Peake, chief of staff to Assemblyman Joe Lentol (D-Brooklyn).
Peake said she believed Silver’s staff deserved their raises because they have “very demanding jobs.”
But Albany watchdogs said Assembly leaders must justify the high wages.
“It’s the taxpayers’ money, not their money they’re spending,” said New York Public Interest Research Group director Blair Horner.
Whyland, who now works for new Speaker Carl Heastie, and Silver’s new spokesman, Jason Fink, did not comment.