SarahPAC rakes in the contributions (Updated)

Over $3Nearly $5 million this year
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According to Treasurer Tim Crawford, SarahPAC raised $469,000 between Oct. 13 and Nov. 22, pushing the Sarah Palin political action committee's total contributions for the the year over the $3 million mark, reports Jay Newton-Small at TIME's political blog Swampland:

Crawford attributed the surge of funds to energy surrounding the midterm elections, Palin's endorsements and her TLC reality show “Sarah Palin's Alaska.” Her second book, America By Heart, came out Nov. 23.

The PAC spent $64,000 buying advance copies of her books, “just as we did last year” with her first book, Going Rogue, Crawford said. “They're a great fundraising tool for us.” Palin is in the midst of a two-week cross-country book tour.

Overall the PAC spent $581,000 between Oct. 13 and Nov. 22. A larger percentage than normal was spent on contributions to political candidates, $244,000, as Palin tried to help her 81-endosed candidates over the Nov. 2 finish line. Fifty-five of them won.

Crawford says all of the $469,000 was raised online or through direct mail. There have been only two SarahPAC fundraisers this year, while Mitt Romney's PAC has held nine.

Updates...

TIME has its numbers wrong. The yearly SarahPAC total is actually near the $5 million mark. (See comments)

From Ballot Box, The Hill's campaign blog:

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's reported haul of some $469,000 over the past month and a half easily tops the total cash pulled in by the federal PACs of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, both rumored GOP presidential contenders in 2012.

- JP