Alaska Governor Sarah Palin Sets Up Legal Defense Fund And Parts Ways With SarahPAC Fundraisers

Flap mentions below that SarahPAC, Sarah Palin’s political action committee can now be on offense since today she established a legal defense fund. Well, not so fast.

Campaign Solutions, a Republican consulting firm advising Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin‘s political action committee, has parted ways with the former Republican vice presidential nominee.

The group had been working with the Palin operation to raise money
for SarahPAC but decided to step aside after a series of strategic and
philosophic differences, according to a source familiar with the
decision.

A spokeswoman for Palin did not immediately return an email seeking comment.

Campaign Solutions head Becki Donatelli had long been associated with the fundraising efforts of Arizona Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) and got to know Palin during last year’s presidential campaign.

When Palin decided to set up a PAC earlier this year as a first step
toward solidifying her role on the national stage and potentially
positioning herself for a 2012 presidential run, Donatelli’s firm was
the obvious choice to help raise money for the fledgling effort.

SarahPAC
formally incorporated in late January but is not required to file a
report detailing its contributions and expenditures until the end of
June.

The parting of ways between Palin and Campaign Solutions is the latest sign of a divide between the governor’s official Alaska staff and those advising her on the national level. Palin has struggled badly to balance those competing interests; she recently agreed to and then canceled an appearance at a fundraiser to benefit the Republican House and Senate campaign committees.

Looks like one step forward and then a step backwards for Palin who this week is also struggling with her daughter’s former lover/fiancee and custody issues over their child.

It has been rumored for a while now.

Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Alaska) announced the creation of a legal defense fund Friday to help pay down legal debts stemming from a series of ethics complaints.

The Alaska Fund Trust will be run by longtime Palin friend and Wasilla native Kristan Cole. Palin owes more than $500,000 in legal bills, but donations to the fund will be capped at $150, according to a release.

“Over the past months it became increasingly clear that supporters of Governor Palin needed to help defend against the onslaught of frivolous attacks against her. These baseless accusations are designed to inhibit her ability to focus on the issues Alaskans truly care about and force massive personal debt on her and her family,” Cole said.

In addition to the unusually low, self-imposed donation cap, the fund will also voluntarily disclose contributor names and dollar amounts.

“We have created one of the most restrictive and transparent legal funds in history,” Cole said.

Palin has been hit with numerous ethics complaints from citizens of her state. The latest came Wednesday, when an Anchorage woman complained that Palin violated state ethics rules by using funds from her political action committee to attend a right to life rally in Indiana.

So, this fund will play defense and SarahPAC will be on the offense.

Most interesting to Flap are the $150.00 contribution limits and the transparency. Looks like an internet contribution push is just around the corner.

Looks like Palin is pusihing ahead towards re-election in 2010 and then more……

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