Sarah Palin earned more from making Cameo video messages than she would in Congress

• Sarah Palin earned more from making videos on Cameo in 2021 than she would in Congress.
• Palin made $211,000+ from Cameo alone. That's $37,529 more than the annual salary of a House member.

Sarah Palin earned significantly more from Cameo in 2021 than she would as a member of Congress.

Palin, now making a comeback political run for the House, revealed in a new financial disclosure form filed on Tuesday that she earned a whopping $211,529 from personalized videos on the app Cameo in 2021. That's $37,529 more than the annual salary of a House member.

The former Alaska Republican governor's financial disclosure showed $70,000 in earnings in 2021 from her marketing company Pie Spy LLC, more than $40,000 in speaking fees, and $10,000 for her participation in the Club for Growth's Save America bus tour. There are also dividends listed from a number of investment and retirement accounts.

Page 3 of Sarah Palin personal financial disclosure Contributed to DocumentCloud by Insider Staff (Insider Inc.) • View document or read text

Palin was the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee on the late-John McCain's White House ticket. They lost that race, of course, to Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Now, Palin is now competing against 47 other candidates in a June 11 special election to fill Alaska's At-Large House seat vacated by the death of Rep. Don Young, who was the longest-serving member of the House.

Palin has so far brought in more than $56,000 from web advertising for Young Conservatives LLC and $44,000 from Cameo videos, which she sells for nearly $200 a pop, in 2022, according to the filing. But it's unclear whether Palin could continue earning income from Cameos if she gets elected to Congress.

Members of Congress are technically limited to $29,595 in outside income per year to supplement their official salaries while serving in federal office.

But loopholes in the rules allow members to significantly pad their annual salaries through investment accounts, real estate holdings, and book deals, including advance fees and subsequent royalties.

Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, for example, was able to earn double his congressional salary with $184,167 in advance and royalty fees for his upcoming memoir, Insider's Kimberly Leonard reported from his latest financial disclosure filing.

Under Alaska's new top-four primary system, all 48 candidates vying for Young's seat from all parties will run on the same ballot in June. The four highest performing candidates will then advance to an August special general election where voters will pick the winner under ranked-choice voting.