Lieberman's presidential campaign paid the senator's wife, Hadassah, at least $22,000, records show. His son Matthew received about $34,000 and his daughter Rebecca about $36,000.

Sherry Brown, who was the presidential campaign's chief of staff, said the Lieberman children were paid on par with other staff members doing fund-raising work. Payments to Hadassah Lieberman were for reimbursement of expenses, Brown said.

Lieberman wasn't the only one in the presidential race with a relative on the campaign payroll. Vice President Dick Cheney's daughter Mary was paid about $81,000 by the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign.

Laurie Stupak, wife of Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., said she has earned about $36,000 annually during the past two years as the finance director for her husband's campaign.

She said she was paid slightly more — nearly $3,900 a month — for part of last year because she served as both campaign manager and finance director. She also received an election bonus of $2,500 last November.

The money was earned by working more than 40 hours a week and traveling long hours on weekends in a sprawling district, she said.

California Republican Rep. Elton Gallegly's wife, Janice, has run his campaigns since he was a mayor, continuing in that role since he first ran successfully for Congress in 1986.

She did the work for free until last year, when she began taking payment of about $2,600 a month after deciding she'd like more financial independence, Gallegly said in an interview.

"I think that it's important that she have a little more independence and not feel like she has to depend on me if she needs a couple hundred dollars or if she wants to buy something," he said.

Other spouses got raises, too.

For instance, Rep. Fortney "Pete" Stark's wife, Deborah, received a monthly increase from $650 to $2,400 as a campaign consultant three years ago — around the time the couple had twins.

At the time, Stark, D-Calif., said his wife filled the roles of campaign manager, office manager and bookkeeper. "My position is, she's a bargain," he said.

Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, had three college age children working on his campaign last year. They organized events, distributed literature and spoke to state convention delegates. Emily was paid $5,425, Jane earned $9,508 and Laura — still employed by the campaign — received $17,766.

"It surprised me they didn't make more," Cannon chief of staff Joe Hunter said.