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ABC News’ Rick Klein reports: Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is taking what appears to be a step away from elected office in accepting a new role as a Fox News contributor.

The announcement, as reported by The New York Times’ Jim Rutenberg today, answers one of the persistent questions surrounding Palin since she resigned the governor’s office last summer.

Her new gig with Fox News Channel will give Palin a new megaphone, in addition to her 1.1 million-plus supporters on Facebook. The Times reports that Palin has inked a “multi-year deal” that will make her part of the cable outlet’s programming “on a regular basis,” as part of an occasional series.

But while the Fox job will leave room for other pursuits, it’s also the latest sign that Palin, R-Alaska, is looking for ways to build upon her political brand in ways that don’t necessarily include a run for the presidency in 2012.

Though terms of the Fox deal have not been made public, this plus her quick authorship of a bestselling memoir suggest that Palin’s attention has turned to her own finances since leaving public life.

Messages left with Fox and Palin representatives were not immediately returned this afternoon.

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