Palin's speaking fee at university causes outcry

California State University Stanislaus Office of the President denied public records requests to disclose what former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is being paid for an upcoming speaking engagement.

Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) asked the university last week to reveal Palin's fee and other contract terms. An advocacy group, Californians Aware, requested all records related to the event.

The school's compliance officer, Gina Leguria, made the same response Tuesday to both requests: The university has no such documents and is referring the matter to the foundation. The foundation responded Wednesday by citing the confidentiality clause in Palin's contract.

California Attorney General Jerry Brown is investigating the financial arrangements behind Palin's scheduled appearance at the state university fundraiser.

The CSU Stanislaus Foundation, which funds the dinner and dance, invited Palin. The private organization is not subject to the state's open-records law.

But Yee said state agencies are barred by state law from entering into confidentiality agreements regarding the spending of taxpayer money. The senator accused CSU Stanislaus of violating the public trust by not disclosing the fess it will give Palin.

From the Turlock Journal: A 2001 state appeals court regarding a similar case at California State University, Fresno found that the Fresno State Assn.-- an analog of the Foundation--was not subject to the Public Records Act.

That ruling did, however, require Fresno State -- which was aware of the information sought -- to release the particulars of the situation. Under state law, public entities may not enter into the sort of non-disclosure agreement as found in the Foundation's contract with Palin.

Yee is currently sponsoring a state Senate Bill clarifying that campus foundations and auxiliary organizations are subject to the Public Records Act. The bill has passed the Senate, and awaits action by the Assembly.

Yee says the sharing of staff, facilities and resources between the Foundation and CSU Stanislaus creates an "inextricable link" between the two entities -- and that the Public Records Act should be in force.

Palin is rumored to be paid more than $100,000 for attending the $500-a-plate fundraiser. She reportedly earned $100,000 when she spoke at the National Tea Party Convention this year.

The California Faculty Assn., the union representing the university system's professors, has been critical of the foundation's reticence on Palin's speaking fee.

Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.

Editors note: Some of you have questioned how this story relates to insurance. This story originally appeared in the AA&B MarketWatch e-newsletter on the subject of public entity insurance. Some of our readers offer public entity insurance, and as such, are interested in legal matters relating to public entities (CSU in this case, and Yee is looking to subject CSU Stanislaus Foundation to the Public Records Act).