This website has written extensively about corrupt Columbia, S.C. mayor Steve Benjamin’s involvement in the shady ‘Village at Rivers’ Edge’ deal – a government-subsidized affordable housing boondoggle.
This project – which received at least $7.8 million in federal “stimulus” money and millions more in grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (USHUD) – officially went belly-up earlier this year.
One of Benjamin’s partners in this deal? Former S.C. State University trustee Jonathan Pinson – who is the subject of a federal investigation into corrupt kickbacks involving a separate $3 million public land deal.
In fact Benjamin famously bragged to The (Columbia, S.C.) Free Times that he “left seven figures on the table” in selling his piece of the action to Pinson for $500,000.
Yeah right …
Anyway … now that Benjamin has been reelected mayor of Columbia by a broad margin, local television station WIS TV 10 (NBC – Columbia, S.C.) has apparently decided to start doing its job again.
This week the station dispatched reporter Jody Barr to interview Benjamin about his connection to Pinson and another former S.C. State trustee who was involved in the shady Village deal – Lance Wright.
Wright, it turns out, has become an FBI informant – and Barr wanted to know whether Benjamin had been approached by the FBI regarding his involvement in the deal.
Benjamin’s response to Barr?
Wow. Score another one for the “Mayorhood,” right? You know, this reminds us a lot of his, um, “follow-through” on the issue of transparency in government (which he campaigned on back in 2010).
This hood should be in jail, people. In fact if you live in Columbia, S.C., he’s literally hazardous to your health. Like, for real.
34 comments
Looks like old T Bone has already moved up to Rib Eye Status
Hey Jody here are a few “back at you, cockroach” comments:
Rib Eye, go fuck yourself cockroach
Rib Eye, go fuck yourself cockroach
Rib Eye, go fuck yourself cockroach
Sorry about that Jody. Once I typed Rib Eye, go fuck yourself cockroach I realized I had already shot my best load
What a douchebag. Great job Columbia, you done screwed up again.
Douchebag is way too favorable a descriptor for this cockroach.
Follow the yellow brick road Jody, you are the perfect size to do it. Pull the curtain back.
Oh, and Mayor Benjamin, fuck you.
I’m no fan of Benjamin, but, in my opinion, Jody Barr is an idiot.
I’m no fan of Barr, but, in my opinion, Steve Benjamin is an idiot
Agree. The two deserve each other.
It’s Chocolate City bitches, now we gonna do bidness the way we do bidness.
If Butch (Donita) would take the leash off of Jody, he could probably do a lot of good in the Midlands, exposing corruption. It still utterly amazes me that any thinking voter could have voted to re-elect Benjamin. Of course, the idiot sheeple and people like The State’s editorial staff look at how much “experience” (at ass raping the public) these clowns have. Mo would have been a thousand times better as a choice, but he lacked the “experience”.
I would guess that Donieta is trying to keep Jody and herself out of BlackOps jail or worse. I’m sure they’d both end up swimming with the turds in the Congaree if they uncovered too much. As it is I hope Jody doesn’t leave his car unlocked and has strategically placed indicators on his vehical so he can see if it’s been tampered with while un attended.
True that, easterndumbfuckastan!!!! As we all know, it is quite easy to gain entry to an unattended vehicle without causing damage or signs of entry.
He won because he’s black, voted in by the blacks. They will not abandon one of their own.
They were rounded up by the dozen, driven to the polling places, given something in return and dropped back off from whence they came. Ain’t community organization grand?
Barr has a reputation for creating scandals out of nothing, so it’s no surprise that Benjamin told him to grow up. I’m pretty sure I saw him give some sort of apology/retraction a couple of weeks ago on WIS for some story he failed to adequately investigate.
And Benjamin has a reputation of trying to reduce scandals to nothing. I think Barr knows Tbone is shitting his pants right now, hoping the wire taps from the Pinson case get thrown out, and Jody just wants to be there when Steve finally comes unglued from all the stress and pulls a Sammy Ard on him.
No doubt. I just wish a reputable reporter would bring him down, not some two bit hack.
Looking at WIS’s current lineup, good luck with that. Maybe Lil Opie Kearns?
Easy, he’s been there a couple years now and is starting to look like he’s finally in high school.
TV does add 10 years to you.
The process might have already begun. I just came back from watching him make a brief speech at the Vista lights. He looked like a functional retard while reviewing his notes.
If it was anything like the “speech” he gave at the Maxcy Gregg Centennial Celebration a few years ago, I’m pretty sure he IS a functional retard.
Benjamin needs to grow up and maybe get those nails clipped. A little rough for how stylish Hiz Honnah be representin.
Benjamin: “Say my name.”
Barr: “Benjamin”
Benjamin: “You God damn right.”
I can’t wait for Sic to get a hold of the latest Richland County Election Commission’s debacle. Thank you Richland County Legislative Delegation. Joel Lourie, James Smith, Darryl Jackson, John Courson – kiss my ass. I would add Jean Toal for approving it all and sweeping it under the rug – but she just might want to.
Mayor B,
…be rollin…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nf4DhXy9oUhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nf4DhXy9oU
As the Supreme Being in Time Bandits says, “I’m not entirely dim.” But it took me a while to figure out what Will is doing. I really believe he wants the Mayor to sue him so he can flay him alive in court and make it all public. It also wouldn’t hurt his click-count.
Columbia = “New Detroit”
It’s how Ben does business.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw2IxSSh4RU
That kind of condescension just may piss a reporter off bad enough to really start digging.
Dumb, arrogant move.
The FBI wire taps must have some very damning evidence probably they would reveal collusion between the partners in loan fraud. It wasn’t just the black vote that put cockroach in office the assholes in the all white areas were pouring cash and votes in to this corrupt asshole.
Does the Lott family work for T-Bone or is T-Bone the boss?
who is reginal b barner, he purchased village at rivers edge property
before bank forclosed
Its unfortunate that nobody truly understands what is being reported here and the fact that Jody waited until after the election speaks volumes about his character. All of this information was provided to him quite some time ago and he has been paid (not by WIS) to report it at this time. Unfortunately there really is no story here. All of this was reported well over a year ago and the FBI has thoroughly investigated this and has absolutely nothing to indict him on. Get a life people and WIS. Sad to say I do not even support him either but this crap reporting illustrates the very problem with our city. Get it right and report it right so it can get some legs. This makes it all loose creditability.
Word on the skreet has it that Jody was ordered by Donita or other higher-up(s) at WIS to hold onto that story until after the election. This was not his doing.