Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty: Where Their PAC Money Goes

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Sandra Fish

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Political candidates often talk a good game of supporting fellow party members seeking office, but how wide do they open their wallets?

In the case of three potential 2012 GOP presidential candidates -- ex-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney -- the answer is . . . not very wide.

Sarah Palin's political action committee so far has contributed only small sums to Republicans running for office this fall, and the PACS of Romney and Pawlenty have given even less.

Candidate contributions represented just 5.8 percent of Palin's PAC spending through June, records show. Roughly 4.4 percent of Romney's PAC money went to candidates, while Pawlenty spent 4.7 percent of his money on GOP office seekers.

The trio's candidate contributions will undoubtedly grow as November nears, but the vast majority of their PAC money is likely to go to their own campaigns for travel, consulting and fundraising expenses.

"They're not interested in necessarily winning the House and Senate back for Republicans. That's not their No.1 objective," said Daniel Smith, a University of Florida professor who directs the political campaigning program there. "They're selectively placing their bets, using their PAC dollars on Republican candidates who can elevate their national profile and also procure free media in key battleground states in the run-up before the 2012 Republican primary."

We've looked at Palin's record on PAC money plenty. Below, a closer look at how it compares to Romney's and Pawlenty's.

Keep in mind that at this point, Palin's PAC reporting goes through the end of June, Romney's through the end of May and Pawlenty's through the end of March.

Money raised, the big picture: Since 2008, Romney's Free and Strong America PAC raised more than $6.2 million, with about $3.7 million for the 17 months so far this election cycle. Sarah PAC has raised almost $3.4 million over 18 months. Pawlenty's Freedom First PAC raised almost $1.9 million in just six months. If you look at that fundraising per month, Pawlenty comes out the winner.Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty: Where Their PAC Money Goes