Palin and entourage 'like locusts' at Oscar gift benefit

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin can't get enough of politics. And, apparently, thousands of dollars in free goods at the Oscar gift suite.

According to E! News, Palin showed up to Silver Spoon's Oscar Suite in West Hollywood Tuesday, benefiting the Red Cross, with about 20 others in her "entourage" and made off with myriad free goods, including 40 pairs of ear phones and a free "blowout" hairstyling for her daughter from the salon that services Jennifer Aniston. Palin said that she was donating all the gifts back to charity, but reports differ on whether she actually did.

"They were like locusts," one vendor told E!. "She showed up with like 20 people, and they immediately swarmed the place taking everything!"

According to reports, Palin graced the event two hours early and demanded that no photographers or videographers be present.

"They told us last minute to get here superearly for [Palin]," E! quoted a vendor as saying. "Then, she wouldn't let anyone take her picture or do any interviews."

Palin purportedly stopped by while her daughter, Bristol, was doing a photoshoot nearby, and was accompanied by her daughter, Willow, her grandson, Tripp, and "a bunch of female handlers."

Adds E!:

We're told Palin was quite the prima donna and that she insisted the suite be opened two hours early so she could come when no looky-loos would be around.

For those of you who think that's a standard request—uh, it's not, especially when you're getting thousands of dollars worth of free goods. Some of the products Palin picked up included Bloom facial products, which she told the vendor she needed for her under-eye area.

Palin grabbed some oversize sweatshirts and tie-dyed "jeggings" for Bristol, got a blowout by colorist Erick Orellana from the Chris McMillan Salon, along with snatching up jewelry from Pascal Mouawad, Skagen Watches, Lash Food and 40 pairs of Aiaiai headphones.

....The press release for the suite states Palin gave over $1,700 dollars to the Red Cross and planned to donate what she received at the suite to charity. Too fab she gave money, but we can assure you she did not give up any of her swag.

The LA Times begged to differ: "I'm told the oft-parodied politico donated all of her gift items back to the Silver Spoon for auction, as well as about $1,700 of her own cash, in support of multiple Red Cross efforts, including those in Haiti and Chile."

The paper added, however, that "Palin's middle child, Willow, got her hair styled, receiving a blowout from Erick Orellana of the Chris McMillan Salon (Jennifer Aniston's longtime hairstylist)."