Recent audits and investigative reports have highlighted transparency concerns within the National Congress. Diario Libre reports that the administrative staff of a single senator’s office now rivals the size of a medium-sized private company.
In its report on the perceived excesses at the Senate offices, Diario Libre reveals that the payroll for senatorial offices has ballooned to 1,284 employees, with a monthly salary expense exceeding RD$41 million.
The most glaring example is the office of Senator Dagoberto Rodríguez Adames in the sparsely populated province of Independencia, which employs 69 people, outnumbering the staffs of senators from major urban centers like the National District and Santiago. This spending represents roughly 40% of the Senate’s total budget, sparking a renewed debate over the “barrilito” (the controversial discretionary fund) and the lack of a standardized career ladder for legislative staff.
A follow-up story in Diario Libre explains that the payroll of assistants to the deputies is of more than RD$33 million a month.
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Diario Libre
Diario Libre
20 April 2026