Ethical Mess - South Carolina

[Book of Jeremiah]

Government corruption in South Carolina has become a problem of epic proportions. Citizens have expressed shame that their State is ethically in the gutter on matters of integrity, honesty, transparency in government. This is one story about the rampant corruption in South Carolina political office. This story focuses on their House Speaker who was suspected of corruption and is said to have more power than any other politician in the country. That is quite unusual and it is alleged that he was selecting his own judges as well.



An ethical mess in South Carolina
An ethical mess in South Carolina
Titanic struggle between House speaker and attorney general a revealing symbol of the Palmetto State's tortured history
By Corey Hutchins

6:00 am, June 17, 2014 Updated: 9:29 am, June 17, 2014

Photo will not post - here is a photo of House Speaker Bobby Harrell:

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley gives her 2012 State of The State address to the joint session of the legislature as Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell looks on, at The Statehouse in Columbia, S.C.


Mary Ann Chastain/AP
On a recent Thursday, a light rain was washing against the office window of South Carolina's first-term attorney general, Alan Wilson. On the floor near his desk, about a dozen thick black binders spilled out of the bottom shelf of a bookcase and onto the carpet. Inside each of them: supporting documentation from a 10-month state police investigation into the sitting House speaker, Bobby Harrell, a fellow Republican and arguably the state's most powerful politician.

“And that's just a preliminary investigation,” said Wilson, gesturing to the pile.

The attorney general will not say what's inside the binders, and no one outside a handful of lawyers, prosecutors, law enforcement agents and grand jurors who are sworn to secrecy have seen what's in the report. The speaker of the House himself hasn't seen what's in it either, although he's called for Wilson to release the voluminous file to the public, maintaining he's done nothing wrong and decrying the grand jury probe as political in nature.

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

Click this image to see full sized version of photograph

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley gestures toward her state's report card from the State Integrity Investigation as part of an ethics reform tour.

 

[Ringel05]

Soooo, South Carolina is the Republican's version of Chicago........ Who knew........?

 

[Rotagilla]

What?...politicians are dishonest and corrupt!?..well..who knew...

keep electing career politicians, though...maybe it'll get better..LMAO..

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

What?...politicians are dishonest and corrupt!?..well..who knew...

keep electing career politicians, though...maybe it'll get better..LMAO..

Interesting but I've been learning about other States where the House Speakers are corrupt too - this comment was on the original article but was covered up! I found that to be strange as it was the only comment missing! All the others could be read..... So I'm posting it here.

They said:

In Missouri, where I live, a Speaker of the House was prosecuted and found guilty of corruption when the lobby for legalized gambling was making their way through the legislature. This, I believe, was a federal prosecution, but I'm not sure. It could have been a state action. Of course, we now have legalized gambling in Missouri that is supposed to help the schools of Missouri but, strangely, the Kansas City Missouri School system is not accredited by the State.

Although the Grand Jury system is not perfect, it appears to be the best that we have been able to come up with in terms of justifying and protecting the power of the Chief Prosecutor of the State to protect the people of the state against crimes committed by their elected officials.

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

Soooo, South Carolina is the Republican's version of Chicago........ Who knew........?

I think both parties are corrupt. Otherwise how could a House Speaker get away with this kind of behavior?

 

[Rotagilla]

Nimrata Randhawa (alias "nikki haley") can't do anything about corruption but she by golly knows that confederate flag had to come down...cultural cleansing, she has a handle on...

what is it with these indians changing their names to try to sound anglo? Piyush Jindal is another one...he said he used to like the brady bunch tv show, so he decided his new name would be "bobby"...ridiculous...

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

Although he reportedly stole over 1 million dollars in campaign funds and other money he got away with 3 years of probation and a $30,000.00 fine. He only has to pay back $93,538 dollars. I am appalled at this man's attitude! He states that this has been a particularly hard time for his family? What nerve he has! He's a thief! The man owned a pharmaceutical repackaging firm and an insurance company, he owned his own private plane and he wanted to rob the people of S.C. and have them foot the bill for his excursions? I'm just amazed at his audacity. Truly his last comments about thanking people for their encouraging words and prayers - it is just sickening. Not once does he apologize for the waste of tax payer money - his insisting throughout the investigation that he had done nothing wrong. He was caught red handed. What do you mean you've done nothing wrong? That he got away with only a 30K fine and 3 years probation instead of prison time? Means he most likely knows who else is corrupt and would have told on them had they put him in prison. S.C. has some serious problems to address.

See story:

S.C. House speaker admits misconduct, resigns

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- South Carolina House SpeakerBobby Harrell pleaded guilty Thursday to misconduct in office charges and agreed to immediately resign,ending his run as one of the state's most powerful politicians.

Harrell pleaded guilty to six counts of misconduct during a hearing at the Richland County Judicial Center. As part of the plea agreement, he was sentenced to six years in prison, which was suspended, and instead given three years of probation with a $30,000 fine.

He must reimburse the state $93,958, the amount the state says he took from a campaign account for personal use.

"This has been a particularly hard two years on my family, and doing this today we hope brings an end to this," Harrell said during the hearing.


USA TODAY

S.C. House speaker indicted on misconduct charges


Harrell did not speak after the proceedings, but did issue a statement, where he echoed his earlier remark:

"I have agreed to this today to end what has been a two-year nightmare. This has been incredibly hard on my family and me, and it is time for it to end. We have a fundamental disagreement over the proper use of a campaign account to fly a private aircraft to conduct state and campaign business, but to continue to fight this would have taken at least another year, possibly two.

"Cathy and I are deeply appreciative to everyone who has offered words of encouragement and prayers on our behalf. My passion for our state remains as strong as it has ever been, and I will continue to look for ways to serve the Lowcountry and South Carolina."

Harrell originally was facing a nine-count indictment that was handed down by a Richland County grand jury on Sept. 11. Prior to Thursday's hearing, Harrell had steadfastly maintained that he had done nothing wrong.

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

Nimrata Randhawa (alias "nikki haley") can't do anything about corruption but she by golly knows that confederate flag had to come down...cultural cleansing, she has a handle on...

what is it with these indians changing their names to try to sound anglo? Piyush Jindal is another one...he said he used to like the brady bunch tv show, so he decided his new name would be "bobby"...ridiculous...

I agree.