Osskopp Paid At Least $70,150 as Kline Aide

Annualized Salary is $93,533

Mike Osskopp, District Director for Rep. John Kline (R-MN02), has earned at least $70,150 in taxpayer funds since July of 2005, according to LegiStorm. 

The salary covers the third and fourth quarters of 2005 and the first quarter of 2006, the most recent quarter for which figures are available. 

Osskopp has been forced to apologize for using a racial slur to describe Japanese cars at a campaign event for Kline’s opponent, Coleen Rowley (D-MN). 

The incident is another in a series of attacks between the Rowley and Kline campaigns.  Most recently, the Kline campaign attacked an unpaid Rowley staffer for having heterodox views on drug legalization.

The Osskopp incident has prompted a complaint to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, due to the fact that Osskopp is a paid staffer for Kline.  Osskopp has said he was attending the Rowley event on his own time.