DeNucci gives staff 5 percent raises

Retiring state Auditor Joe DeNucci has given his staff a 5 percent pay raise at a time when many government agencies are dealing with shrinking budgets and workers are being forced to endure pay freezes and cuts.

A spokesman for DeNucci justified the raises, retroactive to July 1.

Glenn Briere tells The Boston Globe that the raises to about 300 employees will cost about $350,000 through the end of the year.

He says the auditor's staff has not had a pay hike in four years and has taken 11 unpaid furloughs in the past two years.

DeNucci, who job is to uncover waste and fraud in state government, has also eliminated about 40 jobs from his office since Oct. 2008, mostly through attrition.

DeNucci is not running for re-election after 23 years on the job.