As some Texas House members began changing their payroll practices amid an investigation into allegations of ghost employees, others on Monday criticized House Speaker Tom Craddick and other top officials for "trying to start a bonfire" on a practice they approved.

Craddick aides denied that assertion, in the latest signal that the issue is boiling into a political fight in a House deeply split since a year ago, when Craddick opponents challenged his leadership in a public revolt that has triggered an ongoing campaign to unseat him when the Legislature next meets in 2009.

Another indication: A Democratic-leaning political Web site reported that Craddick pushed legislation in 1997 to provide state health insurance for his lobbyist daughter, even though he has criticized House members for giving benefits to full-time employees who worked less than 40 hours a week. Craddick has previously denied pushing that bill.

Echoing private sentiments of her colleagues, state Rep. Jessica Farrar, D-Houston, blasted Craddick and House Administration Committee Chairman Tony Goolsby for expressing surprise at the allegations.

"This startling revelation by Reps. Goolsby and Craddick is odd," Farrar, the vice chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, said in a letter to all House members. She noted that the offices of both men get copies of internal paperwork on all House members' hires.

Craddick spokeswoman Alexis DeLee denied Farrar's assertions. "The letter is filled with inaccuracies. It does not merit a response," she said, adding that it was politically motivated.

The American-Statesman on Friday disclosed that under a long-standing practice, some House members had full-time employees who were not working 40-hour weeks, as required. In a subsequent letter to lawmakers, Goolsby ordered all House members to comply with House policy and state law by removing ghost workers from the full-time payroll.

Craddick, a Republican, asked for an investigation and insisted that he knew nothing of the practice.

"It seems that, as a consequence of Craddick's newly expressed concern, we might all need to purchase a timecard system," Farrar wrote. "Our employees are going to want to make sure we keep track of all their overtime during session."

Farrar also noted that Terry Keel, a former state representative and Craddick ally who is House parliamentarian, is being "paid over $140,000 and listed as full time, but allowed to maintain his private law practice on the side."

DeLee denied that. "Terry Keel is required to work full time, and does, in fact, work 40 hours or more per week in service to the state," she said. "He does so in lieu of having that time to practice law."

On its Web site, the Lone Star Project recounted details of the earlier benefits issue involving Craddick's daughter to challenge his current call for investigations of House hiring practices.

In 2002, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram quoted Sheila Beckett, the executive director of the Employees Retirement System of Texas, as saying that Craddick initiated a change in the retirement law in 1997 to allow adult children of state employees, including legislators, to receive state insurance benefits until they marry, regardless of age. In 2002, Christi Craddick, then 32 and single, remained on the state plan, a Craddick spokesman said at the time.