S.C. Sen. Vincent Sheheen submitted a letter this week to liberal “Republican” Luke Rankin – chairman of the S.C. Senate’s ethics committee – outlining his views on ethics reform.
In the letter, Sheheen lays out a number of policy positions he believes would “address ongoing violations.”
Not surprisingly, most of Sheheen’s policies address violations committed in the past by S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley – his
Specifically, Sheheen wants to ban “any elected official from using the state plane to carry political staff” or be used “for political purposes.” He also wants the same ban extended to “state-owned cars or other state-owned vehicles.”
Obviously Haley has a vastly different view on the subject …
Sheheen also proposes a ban on the use of the Governor’s Mansion or its grounds – or the S.C. State House – for “political fundraising activity.”
Interesting … although the last time we checked it was already illegal for elected officials to use government resources for campaign purposes. The problem? No one is following the laws that are already on the books (as S.C. Treasurer Curtis Loftis has frequently pointed out).
Sheheen also wants a five-year moratorium on elected officials becoming lobbyists (the current law calls for a one-year ban) – and “full transparency” on income disclosure, another area in which Haley has stumbled.
Finally, Sheheen has proposed the elimination of the current “independent” S.C. Ethics Commission and the “irregular enforcement” of the state’s two legislative ethics committees.
“We need a new, independent committee with fresh eyes to ensure our leaders are living up to the standard the people of South Carolina deserve,” he wrote.
Obviously Haley has been the beneficiary of questionable rulings from both the executive and legislative “ethics” panels, the former of which she is responsible for filling (a job she has failed to do).
Would she have been judged differently by a non-political panel? We think so …
Sheheen’s reforms are a good start – and are clearly much stronger than the watered-down legislation Haley has embraced. Still, until we start actually enforcing laws (i.e. throwing politicians in jail for their corruption), “ethics reform” will remain nothing but a bunch of talk in South Carolina.
17 comments
Sheheen sounds like he’s trying to do the right thing, but November 2014 is a year away. I don’t think he honestly believes his reform stands a snowball’s chance in
HellColumbia, but it’ll make him look nice and pretty compared to Haley, who he will still lose to.Just bullshit on top of bullshit. He is full of himself, too. Real ethics reform = many legislatures being sent to prison where they belong. Sheehan is just another pussy boy weakling.
Yeah, they all tout “ethics reform” until it come down to the personal level or affects their ilk. Much ado about nothing.
Shifty votes for penal colonies for those politicians, say just like France’s infamous Devil’s Island — and it could be done!
When you gloss over SC Senator Jake Knotts’ “reprimand” by the Senate Ethics Committee for illegal handling of campaign contributions that included accepting nearly $25,000 above donation limits, how can we take SC Sheheen at his word? Where was your ethics reform then, Sen Sheheen?
When our current SC Attorney General Allen Wilson, whose mom ran Sen Jake Knotts’ reelection campaign in 2012, fails to report over 133,000.00 (one hundred thirty four thousand dollars) and then files an “amended” campaign disclosure form one month after the Associated Press broke the story on is his lawbreaking, where were you Sen. Sheheen?
Yours is an affront to those who abide by the law but also to those who were punished by the law for breaking the law. Your proposals are a joke, Sen Sheheen.
“Expenditures must be related to the campaign or the office held. Use of campaign funds for personal expenses is prohibited. Candidates should maintain a mileage log for reimbursement of expenses related to travel. Candidates may not purchase gas with campaign funds.”
Ethics! Ha!, Mr. Sheheen brought it up.
Gas expenditures for Haley, Nikki total 163 each with the last gas expenditure being:
11/5/2010 52.26 Fuel Taylor’s BP 2011, January 10th Ridgeland
However, the Governess is still rolling.
Gas expenditures for Sheheen, Vincent total 0 each.
Mr. Sheheen has no fuel expenditures for any quarterly report types.
Incidentally speaking; Matthews, John W Jr., clocks in with 294 each fuel expenditures totaling from his campaign account the ingenuous sum of 13,087.07. Senator Matthews no longer lists “Gas” expenditures now calling those expenditures “District Incidentals;” being aboveboard as he is, not mendacious.
Here are a list of the Senators incidentals for 2013.
Date Amount Description Vendor
9/21/2013 42 District Incidentals Quick Pantry
9/13/2013 25.25 District Incidentals Quick Pantry
9/12/2013 54.09 District Incidentals Quick Pantry
9/6/2013 41.47 District Incidentals Quick Pantry
9/3/2013 59.27 District Incidentals Quick Pantry
8/31/2013 64.47 District Incidentals Quick Pantry
8/15/2013 49.22 District Incidentals Quick Pantry
8/8/2013 57.5 District Incidentals Quick Pantry
8/1/2013 32.08 District Incidentals Quick Pantry
7/26/2013 39.77 District Incidentals Quick Pantry
7/23/2013 50 District Incidentals Quick Pantry
7/16/2013 56.84 District Incidentals Quick Pantry
7/11/2013 62.19 District Incidentals Quick Pantry
7/6/2013 38.51 District Incidentals Quick Pantry
6/26/2013 64.61 District Incidentals Quick Pantry
4/3/2013 64.52 District Incidentals Quick Pantry
6/20/2013 40.89 Incidentals Quick Pantry
5/28/2013 52.03 Incidentals Quick Pantry
5/25/2013 51.02 Incidentals Quick Pantry
5/20/2013 44.16 Incidentals Happy Jacks
5/9/2013 60 Incidentals Happy Jacks
5/5/2013 54.54 Incidentals Quick Pantry
5/4/2013 44.24 Incidentals Quick Pantry
4/24/2013 46.14 Incidentals Quick Pantry
4/13/2013 71.92 Incidentals Quick Pantry
4/12/2013 45.98 Incidentals Happy Jacks
5/15/2006 39.94 Incidentals Happy Jacks
Senator Sheheen has offered a good start. But needs more. But one thing one can say is that he has been careful about these issues and does not have a trail of scams and lies in his past.
The problem the Senator has is that Nikki H is a liar. And a good one. It is not his nature so he is at a huge disadvantage.
ALAN WILSON’S CAMPAIGN FINANCES MELTDOWN – CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN THAD WESTBROOK CAN’T KEEP HIS STORIES STRAIGHT
Alan Wilson’s campaign left $134,000 off previous filings.
COLUMBIA, S.C. South Carolina’s top prosecutor amended his campaign filings Friday to account for $134,000 in donations and expenses previously unreported on disclosures surrounding his 2010 election win.
Attorney General Alan Wilson’s campaign chairman Thad Westbrook says NOW 68 donations and 16 payments NOT REPORTED
The 59 checks and nine online donations that came in after Wilson won the office totaled $66,890, The payments totaled $66,797
Thad Westbrook initially estimated that 10 to 15 donations were mistakenly unreported. That number represented other sponsors for Alan Wilson’s inaugural gala that were unaccounted for in his online filings.
But an independent accountant Alan Wilson’s campaign hired to review his account found many more deposits, checks, and expenses not reported.
As Fits so aptly points out, Haley is and has been a total FRAUD!
Almost anyone other than Putin, Weiner, that crack smoking Mayor in Canada and a few others would be better than Haley!
I’m a Republican voting for Haley! i will not vote for her again!
My vote will NOT do the same to the State, that so many voters did by re-electing the Obama disaster! Haley given a second term will be the same kind of disaster for our State.
end her packing.
Support for Shaheen is support for ALL Democrats, including the trash in Washington. The notion that one can “pick and choose” is absurd. Republican for Shaheen my ass. Don’t be fooled.
That should have read, “Don’t be an idiot”.
SC can’t be damaged beyond normal standards by her doing another term, and since corruption is completely accepted by both Parties when their side benefits there’s no reason to hope anyone will change things.
The necessity to undermine national Obamanist power requires electing “RINOpublicans” when they are nominated, no matter how awful their actions in office.
Disgusting, unfortunate, but a binary choice.
Sheheen has gotten awful quite on his push for Obamacare and has to come up with something to take the eyes of SC of that position.
Does that picture mean that the “empty suit ambulance chaser” finally found honest work stuffing boxes?
Crooked SOB.
Vincent Sheheen does not believe in ethics, much less ethics reform. Why would he be supporting Jean Toal so hard if he did? He does what he is told to do by the old guard and what they think will get them a few votes.
Toal and Uncle Bob have been covering for each other for decades. Vince is not that bright and probably does not even know he is being manipulated.