Palin's PAC Raises More Than $730,000

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's political action committee raised nearly $733,000 in its first five months, according to a report filed Monday with the Federal Election Commission.

Receipts totaled $732,867.70 in the period between Jan. 1 and June 30, including contributions as high as $5,000 from some individuals.

An estimated $200,000 more has poured into the SarahPAC committee since the former Republican vice presidential candidate announced July 3 that she will step down as governor July 26, said Meghan Stapleton, her personal spokeswoman.

Stapleton said about $1.2 million has been raised between SarahPAC and a fund set up to help Palin pay more than $500,000 in legal debts stemming from multiple ethics complaints filed against her.

"What this tells me is that there is an overwhelming level of grass-roots support for the governor, and that Americans see her as a powerful figure for promoting conservative values," Stapleton said.

A flurry of contributions in the last two days of the reporting period followed an e-mailed plea to supporters.

"It worked, and it's still working," SarahPAC treasurer Tim Crawford said.

Palin, who is believed to be eyeing a 2012 run for the presidency, launched SarahPAC in late January, saying the goal was to help support candidates for federal and state office.