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WASHINGTON The accusation was intended to make political reporters bite: U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene, a Democrat from Medina and supporter of pay parity, pays her female staffers just over half the salaries earned by employees who are male.

Turns out the tabulations by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) were incorrect; DelBenes five female aides actually make 78 cents for every dollar paid to their nine male colleagues.

Though less damning, that gap is exactly the kind of disparity DelBene and other Democrats have assailed as part of their campaign for paycheck fairness. At the same time, the conflicting math shows how both parties have been less than scrupulous in framing a complex economic issue for political gain.

Tyler Houlton, a spokesman for the NRCC, called DelBene hypocritical for insisting on pay equality while her female congressional staff members earn an average of $33,800, or 53 percent as much as the men. That pay data however, counts only nine full-time workers employed at least a year.

Payroll data provided by DelBenes office for all 14 staffers show a narrower gap: The women draw an average salary of $47,400 compared with $60,500 for the men or 22 percent lower.

Viet Shelton, DelBenes spokesman, said no men and women in her office are performing the same work for different pay. The gender gap, Shelton said, stems from men holding more positions with higher salaries.

Three of the four best-paying jobs are held by men, with DelBenes chief of staff, Aaron Schmidt, drawing the top salary of $125,000. The second-highest salary of $83,000 goes to Legislative Director Lisa Kohn.

The discussion here is about equal pay for equal work, which is something this office takes very seriously, Shelton said by email.

Houlton dismissed the explanation. Democrats, he said, used the same faulty math for their repeated claim that American women earn 77 cents for every dollar for men. DelBene has cited that figure which is not adjusted for experience, occupations and other factors as recently as two weeks ago when she convened a community discussion in Kirkland on the real-life consequences of the gender wage gap.

Houlton called on DelBene to start by addressing the issue in her own office.

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Republicans, DelBene camp clash over gender pay disparity