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Freshman Rep. Sean Duffy (R-7^th District) got some embarrassing publicity when he told a questioner at a town hall meeting in Amery, Wis., last month that he was struggling to support his family on his $174,000 congressional salary, implying that he now earned less than in the past. But a check by NewsBuzz shows Ryan is earning more than he did previously – and at least three times more than the average Wisconsin family.

Duffy was questioned by a constituent who noted his wife, a teacher, would be taking a cut in benefits under the proposed budget repair bill for Wisconsin and asked what a member of Congress makes. When Duffy noted the $174,000 figure, the constituent responded, “That’s three times of my family’s…”

Duffy at a 2002 log-rolling competition

Duffy’s response: “If you think I’m living high on the hog, I have only got one paycheck.  I struggle to meet my bills right now. Will it be easier after I get more paychecks? Maybe. But at this point, I’m not living high on the hog.” He also noted he was still paying his student loans, drove a used minivan and had six children to support.

Duffy’s “one paycheck” reference may refer to his situation in 2009, when the sometime lumberjack supplemented his $94,000 salary as Ashland County District Attorney with additional paychecks from Lumberjack Sports International ($2,500) and Stihl Timber Sports ($2,000). The figures are from Duffy’s statement of financial interest (pdf) filed when he took office in January and includes information for calendar year 2009.

His wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy, whom he met when both appeared on a reality television show, also brought cash into the marriage, including 2009 income of $50,000 from  the Peregrine Group, an entity called ACL ($4,800) and a $1,200 payment from Linda Ellman Productions, which produced such shows as “Diary of an Affair,” “Sex Decoys,” “Shopaholic 911” and “Hard Copy.”

In 2009, the last complete year for which information is available, the Duffys’ combined income of $154,000 was more than three times that of the median Wisconsin income of $49,994. That’s not bad, but still well below his “one paycheck” of $174,000 today.

sean duffy

Congressmen often complain about having to keep two homes, with one in Washington, D.C., but Duffy has indicated he sleeps in a cot in his office while working there. He does, however, have a second home, a $229,000 cabin at 16464 McCarry Lake Rd. in Iron River, Wis., not far from Duffy’s $247,000 primary residence at 2906 City Heights Road in Ashland.

Duffy carries a mortgage on both the house (in the range of $250,000-$500,000) and the cabin ($100,000-$250,000), owes over $50,000 on his student loans and has credit debts in the range of $1,000-$10,000 to two banks. He also owns 15 investments, mostly of the mutual fund type, that are worth at least $1,000 and as much as $15,000 each, but more likely the former since they bring in under a thousand bucks a year in income. (The statement of financial interest forms that congressional representatives are required to file report income and debts in ranges.)

One sign that Duffy could be struggling: He has put his Ashland home on the market in January and is asking $299,000 for it. When asked whether this meant the Congressman would be moving or buying a new residence, his spokesperson Daniel Son said in a e-mail that Duffy currently lives in Ashland and “If/when it is appropriate/necessary to inform the press about the Duffys’ residence, we will.”

Ashland County is a relatively poor county where the median household income of $37,555 is only three-quarters that of the rest of the state. The 2010 census statistics show just 100 income earners who earn more than $100,000 annually; Duffy was in the group prior to running for Congress and has risen a bit higher up the Ashland totem pole since then.

Duffy’s statement has triggered criticism from the state Democratic Party, which released this web video. Duffy responded with an op ed in the Wausau Daily Herald where he admitted to saying “something foolish” but declared his comments were taken out of context. Duffy also said he favored a proposal to cut the pay of members of Congress.

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin recently promoted a poll showing that Americans of all political stripes feel Congress is overpaid. Complaints by constituents about congressional pay have a long history in this country. As far back as 1947, when congressmen made $12,500, the average worker’s salary in the United States was $1,299, so you could argue that, proportionately speaking, representatives make less today. (See “Salaries of Members of Congress,” U. S. Senate document.)

Although lumberjack contests and reality show appearances are now out of the picture for the Duffys, other perks may fill the void. Just three weeks after he took office, the conservative Heritage Foundation flew Duffy and other representatives to Simi Valley California for a program entitled, “In the Steps of Reagan.”

Meanwhile, it may be just as well that Duffy got out of the lumberjack racket. Salaries average $34,455 for the hazardous trade, which has been judged the “worst job” by JobsRated.com.

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