RNC chairman Michael Steele is paid $223,500 a year but he’s still got a gig on the side. The hippest Republican in the land gives speeches for money all around the country. Steele charges between $8,000 and $20,000 for the honor of listening to him talk, a practice that surprised some people who once held his current position.
“Holy mackerel, I never head of a chairman of either party ever taking money for speeches,” said Frank Fahrenkopf Jr., RNC chairman under Ronald Reagan. Jim Nicholson, who held the position from 1997 to 2000, said the job “demands so much of your time that you can work 24/7 and not get everything done, so taking time out to speak for the benefit of one’s own bank account is not appropriate.”
Hip-hop fan that he is, Steele is probably psyched about this newfound beef.
Ex-RNC chiefs rip Steele speaking fees [Washington Times]
