By Lisa Zagaroli, Charlotte Observer, March 3, 2008

3 Mar 2008 // A new report about how Congress can be a "family business" focuses on senators.Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., has been paying his sister-in-law, Mary Fauth, about $5,600 a year to be the treasurer of his political action committee, the Next Century Fund, reports the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a government watchdog group.

Fauth is married to the brother of the senator's wife, Brooke.

Gerald "Trey" Fauth has a transportation consulting business that specializes in public policy and legislative issues (but he's not a registered lobbyist) and shares an address with the senator's PAC. The PAC pays rent for using the family-owned building, Burr's spokesman Chris Walker said.

Though lawmakers are prohibited from employing family in their congressional offices, there's no rule against it for their campaigns.

Walker said Burr follows ethics rules "whenever dealing with issues that come before the Senate."

Inside Your Washington reported last year on similar practices in the House. Rep. Patrick McHenry, a Cherryville Republican, pays his sister Catherine McHenry Rains about $1,200 a month to be his campaign treasurer.

An earlier CREW report that examined House members indicated that Rep. Mel Watt, a Charlotte Democrat, and Rep. Bob Etheridge, a Lillington Democrat, have had their sons on their campaign payrolls in the past.