Fort Hood shooting suspect Nidal Hassan continued to draw more than $278,000 in military salary since he was detained in November 2009.
Hassan, a former Army psychologist, is accused of shooting and killing 13 people at the Texas military base.
While awaiting trial, Hassan got hundreds of thousands of dollars, which was his usual salary, reported KXAS-TV on Monday. The station obtained documents from the Defense Department via the Freedom of Information Act.
A clause in the Military Code of Justice allows Hassan to get his salary while in detention unless he is proven guilty.
But rules for most civilian governments in the United States stipulate that salaries can be cut off “when the agency has reasonable cause to believe that the employee has committed a crime for which a sentence of imprisonment may be imposed,” reported the station.
Retired Army Spc. Logan Burnett, who was shot three times in the 2009 attack, said that he was sickened that the military called the mass shooting “workplace violence.”
“Sickens me. Absolutely sickens me. Workplace violence? I don’t even know if I have the words to say,” Burnett told the station.
“There have been times when my wife and I cannot afford groceries. We cannot afford gas in our car,” Burnett added. “Literally, times where we ate Ramen noodles for weeks on end. This [that Hasan is still earning a paycheck] makes me sick to my stomach,” said Burnett, referring to Hassan getting paid.
It was reported earlier this month that relatives of Hassan may be called to testify in his case.
His lawyers also sought a trial delay but a military judge refused to order it, reported The Associated Press.
Jury selection in Hassan’s case will start May 30 and testimony will begin July 1.
Hassan faces the death penalty or life in prison without parole if found guilty.
