Bristol Palin paid $262,500 as teen pregnancy prevention spokesperson

Bristol Palin was paid $262,500 as a teen pregnancy prevention spokesperson for Candie's Foundation in 2009. From tax records made available today, that means she was paid almost 7 times what the group disbursed (only $35,000) in grants to actual teen pregnancy health and counseling clinics.

From The Candie’s Foundation website: "a non-profit organization that works to shape the way youth in America think about teen pregnancy and parenthood. Research has shown that teen girls who have been exposed to the foundation and its messages are more likely to view teen pregnancy and parenthood as stressful and negative, and they are more likely to be skeptical of the media's portrayal of teen pregnancy and parenting. They also think teens should wait longer to have sex than girls who are not aware of the foundation and its messages."

From ThinkProgress.com: "Notably, Bristol’s Candie’s Foundation group is run by Neil Cole, an executive at the teenage clothing company Iconix Brand Group. Many critics have pointed out that the Candie’s Foundation appears to be geared towards improving the public image of Cole’s company rather than reducing teen pregnancy."

So the lesson of the story seems to be: a "do as I say, not as I do" spokesperson can do quite well in the real world. You can draw your own conclusions.

Welcome to reality. Reality TV that is.