Sarah Uses Her PAC to Buy Her Own Book
By anniepa
@anniepa (27955)
United States
February 14, 2010 9:54pm CST
I waited for over a week to see if anyone else picked up on this story but it appears it's been left up to me...lol! I don't know, something about this just doesn't pass the "smell test". I'm asking that some of you try to imagine how you'd feel if it were someone other than Sister Sarah involved to maybe see what I mean.
This isn't something alleged by some "hate-filled liberal blog", this is according to newly filed campaign records. You all know about "SarahPAC", Palin's political action committee. Palin has been using this PAC to buy thousands of copies of her book, "Going Rogue", to send to donors to the PAC who give $100 or more. The PAC spent more than $63,000 for what her reports describe as "books for fundraising donor fulfillment".
Spokeswoman Meghan Stapleton said, "Due to supporters' demand for the national best-seller "Going Rogue," Sarah PAC purchased books and sent free, signed copies to those who donated $100 or more between November 16 and November 25 at noon. The fundraising tool was wildly successful."
Apparently, according to the rules, since "Palin is neither a candidate for office, nor a sitting member of congress, her PAC is free to purchase the book under current law," according to Jan Baran, a campaign legal expert. I guess that means it's legal, but is it ethical assuming she'll be then receiving royalties for all of the books actually purchased by her PAC to give to high dollar donors? When then Presidential candidate Joe Lieberman gave away copies of his memoir "In Praise of Public Life" in 2004 he declined to take any royalties off the books purchased by the campaign. There has been no word on Palin having the same kind of arrangement.
Any thoughts?
Annie
Read more below: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/sarah-palin-pac-buy-book/story?id=9718024&page=1
3 people like this
10 responses
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
15 Feb 10
I think it was very clever move and if it is not against the law who cares.
1 person likes this
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
15 Feb 10
To overspead, daub by exaggerating the importance of the event.
1 person likes this
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
15 Feb 10
BTW in no way does this event cause me to change my opinion of Palin which was not and is not favorable.
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
15 Feb 10
I guess that's why I started this discussion, to see who DOES care...lol! However, regarding your earlier comments about it being a "smear tactic", I was wondering what you meant by that. It's not a made up story, it's according to her PAC's own reports so how is it a smear tactic?
Annie
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
15 Feb 10
My first thought was that it seemed logical for her PAC to offer the book as an incentive for donating...but then you mentioned the issue of the royalties. I do agree, it would be unethical for her to accept royalties for the books purchased by the PAC.
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
15 Feb 10
I have no doubt there would have been questions raised if Lieberman had accepted royalties for his in 2004, although his book was certainly not as popular as hers. On at least one of the reports I saw about this it was said there had been much more money from her PAC spent on buying her books than on donating to any candidates or causes.
Annie
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
15 Feb 10
I think the book thing is very mild considering some of the tricks other politicians get up to. IMO is is just a another smear tactic (making a mountain out of a mole hill) to take our attention away from much worse political ploys.
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
16 Feb 10
LOL...Annie, I'm dizzy from reading all the spin in this discussion! 
Who cares, so what, others have done worse, we've got more important things to focus on, this is just a distraction. No offense intended to anyone but...talk about a double standard. If this was about Obama, certain folks would be calling for his head on a stick.
I do have to wonder though how much the royalties are on $63,000. Of COURSE it would be unethical for Palin to accept that money when her own PAC made the purchases in order to entice donors to donate money to the very PAC she takes funds from. But, God forbid anyone should admit that. This is just too funny. 
Who cares, so what, others have done worse, we've got more important things to focus on, this is just a distraction. No offense intended to anyone but...talk about a double standard. If this was about Obama, certain folks would be calling for his head on a stick.
I do have to wonder though how much the royalties are on $63,000. Of COURSE it would be unethical for Palin to accept that money when her own PAC made the purchases in order to entice donors to donate money to the very PAC she takes funds from. But, God forbid anyone should admit that. This is just too funny. 1 person likes this
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
15 Feb 10
It does sound a bit sketchy, but I think the idea of people getting a copy of her book for donating a certain amount of money doesn't sound out of the ordinary. I wonder how frequently politicians do this and if any questions have ever been raised on the issue before. As it's legal though, I would just call it a non-issue. Of course if she were still governor you know some moron would file another frivolous ethics complaint to waste taxpayer dollars.
1 person likes this
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
15 Feb 10
IMO Just a rather pathetic smear attempt to focus our attention away from some real dirty tricks made by other politicians.
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
15 Feb 10
I'm not sure, but if she were still governor or if she were a candidate for office now it may not be legal. I'm not sure if there were questions raised in Lieberman's case but he had declined to accept royalties for the books he gave to his PAC in 2004.
Annie
@piasabird (1737)
• United States
15 Feb 10
You bought the book, didn't you, Annie?
1 person likes this
@irishidid (8688)
• United States
15 Feb 10
I heard about it. Not that newsy. If she's buying the book herself then, no she gets no royalty but she wouldn't need to buy them. If it is an outside entity, even if it bares her name she's still entitled to any royalty. Like it or not.
1 person likes this
@irishidid (8688)
• United States
15 Feb 10
That, I do understand and agree with you.
1 person likes this
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
15 Feb 10
' "Palin is neither a candidate for office, nor a sitting member of congress, her PAC is free to purchase the book under current law," according to Jan Baran, a campaign legal expert. ... When then Presidential candidate Joe Lieberman gave away copies of his memoir "In Praise of Public Life" in 2004 he declined to take any royalties off the books purchased by the campaign. '
Well, Lieberman couldn't legally take the royalties, isn't that what they meant by it's not illegal if you aren't a candidate? Seems the opposite would be true, it would be illegal if you were a candidate, and Lieberman was. So, no comparison there.
And "there has been no word on Palin having the same kind of arrangement". There's no word that she doesn't. I blame the lack of information on Palin herself. In fact, the woman is so brazen, she thinks she should make money from having written a book, she even went on a book-signing tour and scandalised everyone by riding in a bus(sometimes even a plane!),instead of driving her own car or walking cross country. She's so brazen she hasn't bothered to come out and tell everyone exactly how much money she made from writing her book.
A complete non-story (from November, no less - been a lack of good Palin stories lately?). Lots of PACs and other political organizations give away books by authors of whom they approve to members who donate money.
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
19 Feb 10
Ah well, you asked at the end of the post "Any thoughts?" You should have been more specific as to which thoughts you wanted.
The problem with ignoring the occasional molehill on its way to becoming a mountain is that if you ignore enough of them, soon all you have is a mountain range blocking your view.
Conservative PACs often offer books as an incentive to donate. The DNC website features a little shop where you can buy Obama baby clothes. I guess babies need a change now and then.
@valentinesdiner (1214)
• United States
15 Feb 10
Thanks, annie!
How a non-candidate, ex-Governor does these things...
Hey, kinda like Jesse Ventura that way.
1 person likes this
@jb78000 (15139)
•
15 Feb 10
little bit dodgy and very silly but politicians do shadier things. going to go a bit off topic here but isn't this a not great reward for a donation? reminds me of some terrible presents some of us thought up once (nothing to do with politics) which would include - giving people a huge framed photograph of yourself simpering, giving people a book consisting of your own holiday snaps, writing poetry, self publishing it and giving out signed copies (i actually have one real friend who does this, well to be fair he doesn't call it a present, doesn't sign it and it is pretty good) etc
1 person likes this
@erbaobao1985 (7)
• China
15 Feb 10
i thought your viewpoint is correct,also as the innovation very much
