Palin's haul: $12 million since quitting

ABC News reports that since quitting in the middle of her first term as Governor of Alaska, Wasilla Hockey Mom Sarah Palin has hauled in at least $12 million.

That conservative estimate is based on publicly available records and news accounts. The actual number is probably much higher, but is hard to quantify because Palin does not publicize her earnings. She reputedly got a $7 million deal for her first book, with the bulk of that money due after her resignation as governor, and $250,000 per episode, according to the entertainment trade press, for each of eight episodes of a reality show about Alaska for the The Learning Channel. She has managed to keep a lid on reliable figures for her earnings from a multi-year contract with Fox News and a second book deal with HarperCollins.

A Palin aide responding to questions from ABC News said the governor "is now a private citizen. As a result, her fees and earnings are private."

Hey, at this point, maybe Sarah Palin can finally repay the state of Alaska for all the electricity she used operating the tanning bed she had installed inside the Governor's mansion?

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We finally know how Palin can afford her bling