- Sen. Tim Scott is a rising star in the GOP.
- His forthcoming book, "America, A Redemption Story," scored a $184,167 advance.
- That's higher than what he gets at his $174,000-a-year Senate job.
Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina more than doubled his $174,000 congressional salary last year thanks to his latest book deal, according to newly released congressional financial disclosure documents.
The documents indicate Harper Collins Christian Publisher paid Scott $184,167 for his forthcoming memoir, "America, A Redemption Story: Choosing Hope, Creating Unity."
The book is set to be released on August 9 and promises readers "an insider's view" of Scott's political career.
"Learn why principles of personal responsibility, opportunity for all, and unity based on empathy provide the greatest hope for our nation's future," says the book's teaser on Amazon. Scott's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Scott, the Senate's only Black Republican, has been in the Senate since 2013 and has said his bid for reelection in November will be his last.
But Scott is well-positioned to run for another political office — including president of the United States. His political profile has risen since he delivered the GOP response to President Joe Biden's 2021 joint address to Congress. In April, former acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said he thought Scott could offer a serious challenge in 2024 to former President Donald Trump if he should choose to run.
Scott has expressed interest in possibly serving as Trump's running mate in 2024, saying in February, "I think everybody wants to be on President Trump's bandwagon, without any question."
Memoirs are one major way politicians work to tell voters about who they are as people and what they hope to accomplish as elected officials. They also can be used as fundraising tools.
Scott is bringing in big-dollar donors. For his Senate run alone he has raised nearly $42 million — the second-highest out of anyone running for Senate in 2022, even outpacing Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Six-figure book deals go to political stars
Scott's financial documents, released Monday, don't spell out the full terms of the book agreement, such as whether he'll receive another set of payments this year.
Members of Congress often reap big paydays when penning their publications. Sens. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, and Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat of Illinois, are among those who've scored six-figure book deals.
In 2020 alone, 26 lawmakers in the House and Senate raked in $1.8 million from book advances and royalties, Insider uncovered as part of its five-month-long Conflicted Congress investigation.
Members of Congress are not typically allowed to earn more than $29,595 in income outside of their federal salaries each year, but book advances and royalties are one of a few exemptions to the rule, which also include rent from real estate and profits from stock trades.
Scott's disclosures from 2020 showed that another memoir, "Opportunity Knocks: How Hard Work, Community, and Business Can Improve Lives and End Poverty," earned $85,000 in royalties that year. He didn't receive additional royalties for that book in 2021, the latest documents show.
Members of Congress will be reporting their finances in the coming months, as is required each year. One of the latest book deals to be made public was that of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat of Massachusetts, who earned $730,350 from her book advance last year.