Palin's PAC Raises $1.2 Million; She Spends a Million on Candidates, Consultants

Sarah Palin raised a hefty $1.2 million over the summer and also spent about a million, paying consultants for advice on finance, international affairs and media, and also contributing to favored candidates in the midterm elections.

It was Palin's strongest three months of fundraising since her resignation as Alaska's governor in July 2009, Politico reported. Palin's SarahPAC gave $10,000 each to Delaware Senate hopeful Christine O'Donnell, New Hampshire GOP Senate nominee Kelly Ayotte, and the Iowa Republican Party, the AP said, citing reports at the Federal Election Commission for the period ending Sept. 30. It bears mentioning that the next presidential primary season opens in the early winter of 2012 in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Political action committees can give up to $5,000 per candidate, per election -- with the primary and general election counted separately. Other Senate candidates benefiting from Palin's largess included Joe Miller of Alaska, Marco Rubio of Florida, John Hoeven of North Dakota, Sharron Angle of Nevada, and Rand Paul of Kentucky. All are conservative Republicans. Many have the support of the Tea Party movement.

Politico said Palin spent $205,000 soliciting PAC donations through direct mail, another $38,000 on Internet fundraising and $40,000 on finance consultants.

Palin, the 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate, is regarded as a potential 2012 candidate for president. If so, she is piling up plenty of chits from candidates in the 2010 races.