PUBLIC INFORMATION — Unidentified sources have told the Los Angeles Times that the California State University Stanislaus Foundation is paying former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin a $75,000 fee plus expenses for a speaking appearance at a fundraiser tied to the university's 50th anniversary celebration on June 25, reports Carla Rivera on the L.A. Now blog.
The sources, who have seen the contract for
the appearance — at Cal State Stanislaus, in Turlock – said it calls
for $75,000 plus expenses for Palin's hotel, air fare and travel. But
the former governor's travel has not been booked yet and the exact cost
of expenses is still to be determined, said the sources, who said they
wished to remain anonymous because they did not have permission to speak
about the contract.Palin is receiving the fee in two
payments of $37,500 each, one of which has already been paid,
the sources said.Palins planned attendance at Cal State Stanislaus 50th Anniversary
gala on June 25 has provoked a storm of controversy, principally because
officials had refused to disclose her speaking fee, which had been
reported to be as high as $100,000.
Cal State Stanislaus was sued last month by a government watchdog
group, which alleges that the campus is violating the California Public
Records Act by withholding key documents relating to Palin's
attendance.
University officials in turn have argued that the event is being
hosted by the Cal State Stanislaus Foundation, a private non- profit
organization that is not subject to the Public Records Act. The contract
also includes a confidentiality clause.
The controversy prompted a probe of the foundations finances by
state Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown after several Cal State Stanislaus students
claimed to have found a portion of the Palin contract in a campus
dumpster, with requirements for the appearance that included "plenty of
bottled water and bendable straws. The documents, however, did not
include the fee.
