Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) augments his salary by taking $20,000 in a
side business capitalizing on his career as a Hall of Fame pitcher.
Bunning
accepts the salary through the Jim Bunning Foundation, which charges
baseball memorabilia companies for the senator's appearances. Bunning
is not able to charge for autographs himself, because of ethics rules,
but the money can go to a foundation.
Bunning has paid himself a total of $155,000 in salary from the
foundation since 2001, according to disclosure documents reviewed by
The Hill. He works on foundation business for an estimated one hour a
week.
The foundation was created in 1996, when Bunning was a
member of the House of Representatives. In 2008, IRS documents show
Bunning attended two autograph-signing events, for which the foundation
was paid $12,595. Along with a licensing program run by the Hall of
Fame, the foundation took in a total of $16,091.
But as Bunning
was being paid as the foundation's sole employee, the Jim Bunning
Foundation has consistently donated less than the $20,000 the senator
collects. The foundation has never given more than $19,575 in a year,
according to IRS documents and documents Bunning has filed with the
Senate.
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