Karen Handel’s quest to secure the Republican gubernatorial nomination in Georgia got a huge infusion of support when she earned a coveted endorsement from Sarah Palin before the July 20 primary.

But the decision by the Handel campaign brain trust to get Palin to appear with their candidate the day before the August run-off against eventual nominee Nathan Deal cost the campaign a bundle.

According to financial disclosure reports, Handel’s campaign, not well funded from the start, coughed up almost a cool $100,000 to bring Palin to the Monday, August 9 campaign rally, one day ahead of the run-off election. The campaign was forced to pay $92,000 for an Ohio based chartered airplane to jet the former Alaska governor to Atlanta for the event. Another $13,000 went to fund the event itself, not unusual.

Although it is standard to pay for the campaign travel expenses of dignitaries, the airfare seemed, by most accounts, excessive. A pair of first class tickets on almost any major airline from any commercial airport in Ohio to Hartsfield- Jackson Airport in Atlanta and then to anywhere the next or same day topped out at about $5,000.