We had never heard of S.C. Rep. Heather Ammons Crawford (RINO-Myrtle Beach) until she flipped out on an Upstate Tea Party group earlier this year for mistakenly including her on a 2012 voter survey (Ammons didn’t begin her term until this year).
The group quickly acknowledged, retracted and apologized for its error – but Crawford was having none of it.
She chose to pick a fight … sort of like Wrenzie Rice, the wife/ chief strategist for U.S. Rep. Tom Rice, another coastal politician of dubious ethics.
Why are these Horry County politicians so sensitive? Perhaps its a guilty conscience given their status as wholly owned subsidiaries of the “Myrtle Beach Mafia” – a corrupt cabal of local tourism leaders who believe government has an obligation to subsidize their marketing efforts via direct appropriations and proceeds from tax hikes.
According to the latest campaign finance filings, Crawford has been funded extensively by the Myrtle Beach Mafia. Despite having no Democratic opposition in the general election last November, Crawford received maximum contributions from groups and businesses associated with the Myrtle Beach Mafia. For example the Myrtle Beach Lodging Association, Grand Strand Statewide Political Action Committee, Grand Strand Golf and the Grand Strand Restaurant Association – all PACs connected to the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce – gave her $1,000 contributions each, all on the same day (all using the same address). Burroughs and Chapin Company – which is intimately associated with the “Myrtle Beach Mafia” – also gave Crawford $1,000 on the very same date.
All of these organizations gave Crawford the maximum contribution for the GOP primary as well.
Sound familiar? Of course it does … this envelope stuffing is the modus operandi of the Myrtle Beach Mafia, which passed a 2009 tax increase via a similar scheme of shady political contributions. This “Coastal Kickback” was a brazen pay-to-play scam in which hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign cash was funneled through a fabricated network of corporations to select politicians in exchange for their support of a local tax hike.
Crawford’s husband – Cam Crawford – is also making bank off of the Myrtle Beach Mafia. Cam Crawford recently opened a consulting firm under the name of Crescent Communications, LLC. This firm was paid $6,000 by Mark Lazarus – who is currently running for the top spot on Horry County Council (the job Tom Rice used to hold).
In fact Lazarus made this contribution to Crescent Communications before the fledgling company had even it filed its incorporation papers with the state.
Lazarus is closely linked to the “Coastal Kickback,” which is still being investigated by the FBI and IRS. In fact many of the defunct LLC’s that handed out campaign contributions as part of that scam were owned by Lazarus.
Lazarus has never answered questions by the public on his participation in the “Kickback” – and where the money for the campaign contributions came from. He’s simply thrown up his arms and claimed he “doesn’t know” where the cash originated from.
Riiiiiight …
The moral of this story?
Well it obviously isn’t that Horry County politicians are corrupt as hell in their pursuit of more tax dollars for non-core government functions. Because we’ve know that for years …
No, the moral of this story goes back to Heather Ammons Crawford and her decision to pick a fight with a group of well-intentioned people who – having made an honest mistake – went out of their way to try and make things right with her.
Crawford didn’t want to make things right, though, she wanted to make enemies.
Which she’s now done …
***
64 comments
Got an idea for Burroughs and Chapin
Why not erect billboards in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio featuring full sized frontal of a butt nakkied Crawford:
“Come on Down to Turdsville USA Where the Mirfs are Wider than the Beaches”
As soon as I complete my in-house class on the “Ethics of Politics”, and I’m approved for work release, I’m heading your way. The view has to be better than what I have to put up with here. By the way, what’s a “mirf”?
mirf, mother i’d run from
is the opposite of
milf, mother i’d like to fuck
urbandictionary.com is a good source for definitions
Hate it when someone tries to hold these ridiculous, sputtering, Tea Party groups responsible for incompetence. She’s trying to hold them to the same standard they try to hold others. I’m really not sure why this is news…or why Fits is so offended…
Got an idea for Burroughs and Chapin
Why not erect billboards in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio featuring full sized frontal of a butt nakkied Crawford:
“Come on Down to Turdsville USA Where the Mirfs are Wider than the Beaches”
As soon as I complete my in-house class on the “Ethics of Politics”, and I’m approved for work release, I’m heading your way. The view has to be better than what I have to put up with here. By the way, what’s a “mirf”?
mirf, mother i’d run from
is the opposite of
milf, mother i’d like to fuck
urbandictionary.com is a good source for definitions
Hate it when someone tries to hold these ridiculous, sputtering, Tea Party groups responsible for incompetence. She’s trying to hold them to the same standard they try to hold others. I’m really not sure why this is news…or why Fits is so offended…
Is she gonna eat that whole cake herself?
If she would drop 50 pounds, she would be semi-attractive.
Is she gonna eat that whole cake herself?
If she would drop 50 pounds, she would be semi-attractive.
Will, if you mean the “envelope disbursements” from the chamber, it’s not accurate to say that Mark Lazarus has never addressed the issue. In fact, he has said more than once that he didn’t know that Shep Guyton had donated money to the “Coastal Kickback” via the LLC in which both of them were partners.
///
Mark Lazarus, a former Horry County Councilman and partner in Creek
View Land Partners LLC, said he did not learn that the corporation had
made $14,500 in campaign contributions until after news reports this
week detailed the donations.
Lazarus said Creek View Land Partners
did not have that much money in its bank account. Lazarus said he does
not know where Myrtle Beach lawyer Shep Guyton, the corporation’s
registered agent, got the money that was funneled through Creek View
Land Partners.
“It does not have money, it has a piece of land,”
Lazarus said of the corporation. “I have no idea where the money came
from and I absolutely did not approve of this. Shep did this without
discussing it with any of the partners. He needs to answer questions
about where the money came from and why he did it without his partners’
knowledge.”
///
Read more here: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2009/10/22/1127843/checks-conceal-myrtle-beach-campaign.html#storylink=cpy
This was re-stated by Lazarus more than once. In addition, the other partner in the LLCs weighed in, in another David Wren article:
///
A business partner in corporations that made political
donations linked to the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce said
Tuesday he did not know the donations were being made and does not
approve of the politicians who received them.
“I can’t stand any of those politicians,” said Edward Williams, a partner with Myrtle Beach lawyer Robert “Shep” Guyton and others in corporations that donated $239,500 to Myrtle Beach and state politicians in the months before the 2009 election and after a controversial Myrtle Beach sales tax for
tourism promotion was approved.
Most of the money from that tax – which was approved in May 2009 without a voter referendum – goes to the chamber of commerce for its tourism marketing efforts.
The FBI and IRS began an investigation of those donations last year, focusing on possible money laundering, tax fraud and criminal conspiracy, according to those who have been interviewed by federal agents. Neither agency will comment.
Williams said he has not been interviewed by either agency. Guyton made the donations without the knowledge or approval of other business partners and the resulting bad publicity is affecting his business, Williams said.
“I’m an innocent victim here,” said Williams, who operates the Cooter’s Backyard Bar & Grill in Murrells Inlet. “My name is being spread all over the place, and I had nothing to do with anything.”
Read more here: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2011/04/20/2111159/partner-says-he-was-unaware-of.html#storylink=cpy ///
LOTS more discussion on all this at South Carolina The People, on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SCTHEPEOPLE/permalink/469598029774656/
If you can prove something…go to the Authorities…otherwise you likely need to STFU…
Also: We’re BEGGING for a FITS (and Boz) Comment on the: Ann Coulter column on GOP Losers and Mark Sanford.
She (like me) is asking WHY give this Conservative (Tim Scott) seat to a HORRIBLE, Also-Ran Career Politician, who has Disgraced himself and his state and his family????…He is a liability to the GOP when we need to move Forward, not backward…
C’mon FITS and Boz : Don’t be a COWARD to protect Sanford…Quit shilling for the ol’ Boy career politicians…
Why doesn’t anyone come visit me?
I HAVE spoken to the authorities, BigT, on the little piece of it they’d be interested in. The important thing is that many people who know far more than I about all of it have logged several hundred hours in interviews.
I’m not a Sanford fan, BigT. You don’t pay attention well, do you?
Will, if you mean the “envelope disbursements” from the chamber, it’s not accurate to say that Mark Lazarus has never addressed the issue. In fact, he has said more than once that he didn’t know that Shep Guyton had donated money to the “Coastal Kickback” via the LLC in which both of them were partners.
///
Mark Lazarus, a former Horry County Councilman and partner in Creek
View Land Partners LLC, said he did not learn that the corporation had
made $14,500 in campaign contributions until after news reports this
week detailed the donations.
Lazarus said Creek View Land Partners
did not have that much money in its bank account. Lazarus said he does
not know where Myrtle Beach lawyer Shep Guyton, the corporation’s
registered agent, got the money that was funneled through Creek View
Land Partners.
“It does not have money, it has a piece of land,”
Lazarus said of the corporation. “I have no idea where the money came
from and I absolutely did not approve of this. Shep did this without
discussing it with any of the partners. He needs to answer questions
about where the money came from and why he did it without his partners’
knowledge.”
///
Read more here: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2009/10/22/1127843/checks-conceal-myrtle-beach-campaign.html#storylink=cpy
This was re-stated by Lazarus more than once. In addition, the other partner in the LLCs weighed in, in another David Wren article:
///
A business partner in corporations that made political
donations linked to the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce said
Tuesday he did not know the donations were being made and does not
approve of the politicians who received them.
“I can’t stand any of those politicians,” said Edward Williams, a partner with Myrtle Beach lawyer Robert “Shep” Guyton and others in corporations that donated $239,500 to Myrtle Beach and state politicians in the months before the 2009 election and after a controversial Myrtle Beach sales tax for
tourism promotion was approved.
Most of the money from that tax – which was approved in May 2009 without a voter referendum – goes to the chamber of commerce for its tourism marketing efforts.
The FBI and IRS began an investigation of those donations last year, focusing on possible money laundering, tax fraud and criminal conspiracy, according to those who have been interviewed by federal agents. Neither agency will comment.
Williams said he has not been interviewed by either agency. Guyton made the donations without the knowledge or approval of other business partners and the resulting bad publicity is affecting his business, Williams said.
“I’m an innocent victim here,” said Williams, who operates the Cooter’s Backyard Bar & Grill in Murrells Inlet. “My name is being spread all over the place, and I had nothing to do with anything.”
Read more here: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2011/04/20/2111159/partner-says-he-was-unaware-of.html#storylink=cpy ///
LOTS more discussion on all this at South Carolina The People, on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SCTHEPEOPLE/permalink/469598029774656/
If you can prove something…go to the Authorities…otherwise you likely need to STFU…
Also: We’re BEGGING for a FITS (and Boz) Comment on the: Ann Coulter column on GOP Losers and Mark Sanford.
She (like me) is asking WHY give this Conservative (Tim Scott) seat to a HORRIBLE, Also-Ran Career Politician, who has Disgraced himself and his state and his family????…He is a liability to the GOP when we need to move Forward, not backward…
C’mon FITS and Boz : Don’t be a COWARD to protect Sanford…Quit shilling for the ol’ Boy career politicians…
Why doesn’t anyone come visit me?
I HAVE spoken to the authorities, BigT, on the little piece of it they’d be interested in. The important thing is that many people who know far more than I about all of it have logged several hundred hours in interviews.
I’m not a Sanford fan, BigT. You don’t pay attention well, do you?
Is that Tom Rice holding the mic? I recognize that grin a mile away.
Sure is!
Is that Tom Rice holding the mic? I recognize that grin a mile away.
Sure is!
WILL, the personal shots at Heather on this comment thread are inappropriate, hateful and wrong! Heather (and her husband) happen to be personal friends of mine; but, even if they weren’t, I’d feel the same way. The attacks in this thread are as deeply hurtful to Heather as similar snark would be to Mrs. Sic. Please “moderate” your site and delete them. Thank you.
You are welcome
Oh, I’m sorry you are talking to willie
By the way what the fuck is a “similar snark”
Please delete your personal comment. It doesn’t add to conversation here. It detracts. Thanks. For a definition of “snark,” go to urbandictionary.com.
Overlooked story in the Sun News last week
A near tragedy was averted today near Ocean Drive around 10 AM this morning.
Walkers on the beach noticed a large white object being hurled through the surf by a very large rogue wave. They first thought a great white shark was making its way to shore.
Once the wave receded, leaving the large white object on the beach, the walkers rolled it over. Although covered in sand it appeared to have two very large dorsal fins up near the head and a healthy dose of what looked like seaweed toward its rear.
As the discussions heated up as to what it was a local beach bum walked up and offered up his unsolicited opinion.
With one foot he kicked some of the sand away from the lifeless object. Those there ain’t no dorsal fins and that ain’t no damn seaweed. What y’all got there is a couple of big old titties and a full grown wild crepe myrtle bush sittin atop a mirf.
The beach walkers without hesitation pushed the large white object back out to sea.
Around 5 PM a Mr. Cam Crawford reported his wife went body surfing nakkied earlier in the day but had not returned home to their double wide summer cottage over at Myrtle Manor.
Is that “snarky” enough for you Mr. Wiles
Comic gold, yet believable.
You must be new here. Nasty personal attacks on women are what this site is all about.
Um, are you not familiar with how this site works? So sorry your friend’s feelings were hurt, but she is a publicly elected representative. If she didn’t want to put herself up for public scrutiny and comment, she shouldn’t have run for office. Grow a pair.
WILL, the personal shots at Heather on this comment thread are inappropriate, hateful and wrong! Heather (and her husband) happen to be personal friends of mine; but, even if they weren’t, I’d feel the same way. The attacks in this thread are as deeply hurtful to Heather as similar snark would be to Mrs. Sic. Please “moderate” your site and delete them. Thank you.
You are welcome
Oh, I’m sorry you are talking to willie
By the way what the fuck is a “similar snark”
Please delete your personal comment. It doesn’t add to conversation here. It detracts. Thanks. For a definition of “snark,” go to urbandictionary.com.
Overlooked story in the Sun News last week
A near tragedy was averted today near Ocean Drive around 10 AM this morning.
Walkers on the beach noticed a large white object being hurled through the surf by a very large rogue wave. They first thought a great white shark was making its way to shore.
Once the wave receded, leaving the large white object on the beach, the walkers rolled it over. Although covered in sand it appeared to have two very large dorsal fins up near the head and a healthy dose of what looked like seaweed toward its rear.
As the discussions heated up as to what it was a local beach bum walked up and offered up his unsolicited opinion.
With one foot he kicked some of the sand away from the lifeless object. Those there ain’t no dorsal fins and that ain’t no damn seaweed. What y’all got there is a couple of big old titties and a full grown wild crepe myrtle bush sittin atop a mirf.
The beach walkers without hesitation pushed the large white object back out to sea.
Around 5 PM a Mr. Cam Crawford reported his wife went body surfing nakkied earlier in the day but had not returned home to their double wide summer cottage over at Myrtle Manor.
Is that “snarky” enough for you Mr. Wiles
Comic gold, yet believable.
You must be new here. Nasty personal attacks on women are what this site is all about.
Um, are you not familiar with how this site works? So sorry your friend’s feelings were hurt, but she is a publicly elected representative. If she didn’t want to put herself up for public scrutiny and comment, she shouldn’t have run for office. Grow a pair.
Is this really news???
Myrtle Beach has been owned by Burroughs & Chapin for Decades.
Unfortunately for them, their tactics don’t work in Columbia and they got their butts handed to them on the Green Diamond Fiasco.
Is this really news???
Myrtle Beach has been owned by Burroughs & Chapin for Decades.
Unfortunately for them, their tactics don’t work in Columbia and they got their butts handed to them on the Green Diamond Fiasco.
Mark Lazarus is big money. According to SC Sec. of State, he is the registered agent for 1885 LLC, High Adventures Inc, JBMR LLC, NMB Grand Prix LLC, Ocean Drive Amusements LLC, Raceway Grill LLC, and Wild Water Food Service LLC. And the rich get richer.
Mark Lazarus is big money. According to SC Sec. of State, he is the registered agent for 1885 LLC, High Adventures Inc, JBMR LLC, NMB Grand Prix LLC, Ocean Drive Amusements LLC, Raceway Grill LLC, and Wild Water Food Service LLC. And the rich get richer.
Good: Ann Coulter column on GOP Losers and Mark Sanford
Good: Ann Coulter column on GOP Losers and Mark Sanford
Heather Crawford is right; those teabaggers lied like rugs.
Heather Crawford is right; those teabaggers lied like rugs.
Ridiculous amount of misinformation and baseless attacks in this post.
1. If I was an elected official (like Crawford), I would most certainly want to clear my name. If that means pissing off a tea party group outside of my district for the sake of my dignity, so be it. They produced 100% false information about her to the public. That’s a big deal.
2. All of the money that funded Crawford’s campaign was done so 100% legally. Funding through LLC’s to political campaigns is completely legal, as long as the amount and number of contributions is within the law, which it was.
3. Connecting her husband, Cam Crawford, and his position on the Mark Lazarus campaign is nonsense. He is the campaign manager–of course he is going to get paid.
4. As Mr. Buz Martin stated before me, Lazarus has been 100% cooperative and open to all questions concerning the “Coastal kickbacks,” and has answered all questions thrown his way. Throughout his campaign, these questions have surfaced numerous times at local forums and debates, and he has given the same answer every time: that he was not aware of anything unlawful that one of his business partners was doing and that no business he has ever owned has gone bankrupt or done anything criminal.
Clearly, the fact that this is a blog is showing through. All evidence you have backing your argument has little to no substance. I understand you’re trying to stir the pot up as much as you can to direct traffic to your site, but to put it bluntly, you’re just full of crap. The main issue here, is whether or not campaign contributions from LLC’s should be reformed, but until the current laws in place are changed, and candidates are doing everything 100% legally, baseless accusations are doing nothing but helping the uninformed voter make even more uninformed decisions.
Ridiculous amount of misinformation and baseless attacks in this post.
1. If I was an elected official (like Crawford), I would most certainly want to clear my name. If that means pissing off a tea party group outside of my district for the sake of my dignity, so be it. They produced 100% false information about her to the public. That’s a big deal.
2. All of the money that funded Crawford’s campaign was done so 100% legally. Funding through LLC’s to political campaigns is completely legal, as long as the amount and number of contributions is within the law, which it was.
3. Connecting her husband, Cam Crawford, and his position on the Mark Lazarus campaign is nonsense. He is the campaign manager–of course he is going to get paid.
4. As Mr. Buz Martin stated before me, Lazarus has been 100% cooperative and open to all questions concerning the “Coastal kickbacks,” and has answered all questions thrown his way. Throughout his campaign, these questions have surfaced numerous times at local forums and debates, and he has given the same answer every time: that he was not aware of anything unlawful that one of his business partners was doing and that no business he has ever owned has gone bankrupt or done anything criminal.
Clearly, the fact that this is a blog is showing through. All evidence you have backing your argument has little to no substance. I understand you’re trying to stir the pot up as much as you can to direct traffic to your site, but to put it bluntly, you’re just full of crap. The main issue here, is whether or not campaign contributions from LLC’s should be reformed, but until the current laws in place are changed, and candidates are doing everything 100% legally, baseless accusations are doing nothing but helping the uninformed voter make even more uninformed decisions.
Dear Alan Wilson…..(SC Attorney General …aka “You know me”)
When you finish enjoying your afternoon latte, we highly suggest that you wipe that smile off of your face and get a clue to what is going on in Myrtle Beach that all those Spring Break tax dollars are NOT being told.
First of all, when are you going to start sounding, acting, and BEING an Attorney General and help Governor Haley usher in some transparency laws that let everyone understand how our race car driver politicians REALLY look with all those LLC sponsors on those suit and ties and fresh skirts elected officials and appointees WEAR….???
Alan, how often has SMIRKS or BIG(T) been told that you can indict a ham sandwich…?? We would hope you could stop watching re-runs of “Law and Order” long enough to spread some mayo on some catered subs for the Myrtle BEACH tourism theater crowd..?? Maybe you could offer some pointers to the mafia-maven that have been learned from the SC State Transportation Board review….??
We have no real clue (YET) that S.C. Rep. Heather Ammons Crawford (RINO-Myrtle Beach) has learned a thing or too from Lin Bennett; but Alan, do you know how it is going to LOOK when the dots are connected to the pay-for-seats scam hits during your TENURE….?????
Alan…..my friend……….WAKE the freak up……!!!!! (Fist Poundz)
…and give Nelson HArdwick and the boyz a call…!!!!!
Dear Alan Wilson…..(SC Attorney General …aka “You know me”)
When you finish enjoying your afternoon latte, we highly suggest that you wipe that smile off of your face and get a clue to what is going on in Myrtle Beach that all those Spring Break tax dollars are NOT being told.
First of all, when are you going to start sounding, acting, and BEING an Attorney General and help Governor Haley usher in some transparency laws that let everyone understand how our race car driver politicians REALLY look with all those LLC sponsors on those suit and ties and fresh skirts elected officials and appointees WEAR….???
Alan, how often has SMIRKS or BIG(T) been told that you can indict a ham sandwich…?? We would hope you could stop watching re-runs of “Law and Order” long enough to spread some mayo on some catered subs for the Myrtle BEACH tourism theater crowd..?? Maybe you could offer some pointers to the mafia-maven that have been learned from the SC State Transportation Board review….??
We have no real clue (YET) that S.C. Rep. Heather Ammons Crawford (RINO-Myrtle Beach) has learned a thing or too from Lin Bennett; but Alan, do you know how it is going to LOOK when the dots are connected to the pay-for-seats scam hits during your TENURE….?????
Alan…..my friend……….WAKE the freak up……!!!!! (Fist Poundz)
…and give Nelson HArdwick and the boyz a call…!!!!!
” For example the Myrtle Beach Lodging Association, Grand Strand Statewide Political Action Committee, Grand Strand Golf and the Grand Strand Restaurant Association – all PACs connected to the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce – gave her $1,000 contributions each, all on the same day (all using the same address). Burroughs and Chapin Company – which is intimately associated with the “Myrtle Beach Mafia” – also gave Crawford $1,000 on the very same date.”
Sounds about like the way the Howard Rich/SCRG crowd does business.
” For example the Myrtle Beach Lodging Association, Grand Strand Statewide Political Action Committee, Grand Strand Golf and the Grand Strand Restaurant Association – all PACs connected to the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce – gave her $1,000 contributions each, all on the same day (all using the same address). Burroughs and Chapin Company – which is intimately associated with the “Myrtle Beach Mafia” – also gave Crawford $1,000 on the very same date.”
Sounds about like the way the Howard Rich/SCRG crowd does business.
Has SCSC Justice Kaye Hearn been able to get Queen Jean to get George Hearn off of any list of bad boys in the MB pay to play game? Jean is making no bones about the fact she “owns” the Hearns now. George tried to do the right thing several years ago when he outed Jean about her lying about the bar exam fiasco.
Has SCSC Justice Kaye Hearn been able to get Queen Jean to get George Hearn off of any list of bad boys in the MB pay to play game? Jean is making no bones about the fact she “owns” the Hearns now. George tried to do the right thing several years ago when he outed Jean about her lying about the bar exam fiasco.
How to eat cake:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=274VrgP1wxs
How to eat cake:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=274VrgP1wxs