Mo. lt. gov. employees got temporary pay raises

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- When employees in Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder's office have taken unpaid leave to do political work, some of the remaining employees have benefited with bigger paychecks.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the scenario has occurred in each of the past three years. When one employee leaves to do a few months of political work, others in Kinder's office split up the departed workers' paycheck.

Kinder says the employees received temporary pay increases because they took on some of the duties of the worker who took leave.

But the Post-Dispatch says state time card records show that some of Kinder's employees actually worked fewer hours during the time when they were paid additional salary.