LOOMING STATE HOUSE SCANDAL EARNS “EXCLUSIVE” INK …
By FITSNEWS || For the past twenty days, the Palmetto political word has been buzzing over “the probe.”
For those of you waking up from a three-week nap, we’re referring to an ongoing federal-state investigation into allegations of corruption at the S.C. State House – one reportedly zeroing in on alleged campaign finance violations, abuse of office and vote-trading (or selling).
Accounts vary as to the size and scope of the probe, but at this point no one doubts it is real – or that suspended S.C. Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell is somehow involved.
This website has been all over “the probe,” breaking the story of its existence way back on September 15.
Since then we’ve published multiple follow-up reports (HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and most recently HERE).
The state’s establishment friendly mainstream media? They haven’t touched it … or at least they hadn’t until reporter Andrew Shain of The (Columbia, S.C.) State newspaper put fingers to keyboard late last Friday for an “exclusive” story.
“Exclusive?” Maybe to his editors …
According to Shain, the probe is investigating “potential illegal vote swapping in February’s race that re-elected the state’s Supreme Court chief justice.”
Really? That’s actually a story we broke months ago.
“Legislators are buzzing with reports of a multi-pronged investigation into legislative ethics in the wake of Harrell’s removal after he was indicted last month on nine campaign-finance charges,” Shain’s story continues.
Harrell’s indictment (and subsequent suspension from office) are clearly connected to the investigation – although at this point no one is 100 percent sure of the precise linkages. Also Harrell is closely affiliated with one of the political action committees said to be at the heart of the probe.
So there’s that …
FITS will continue working with our network of sources to bring you the latest on “the probe.” We’ll also continue following with interest the mainstream media’s efforts to catch up with us via their “exclusive” stories.
Welcome to the big scoop, MSM … again.
44 comments
“Picks up”….The State said it’s an “exclusive”….Uh oh…P!$$!ing contest between Democrat media outlets, less than an month before the election…Get the popcorn…LMAO…This ought to be good…(:
Breaking exclusive from SC Political Digest!!! GrandTango still not probing the possibility of getting a job. Incoherent ramblings nobody will read to follow…
Envy much?
PS: Did you read it?
Did you read it? You fucking kidding me man? Why in the fuck would anyone read your trite crap there while you’re presenting it here? Who fucking cares to read it here, too?
Don’t you self-appointed “Best and Brightest” libs always call it the epitome of IGNORANCE to condemn material that “you haven’t even read.” Dumb@$$…LMAO (:
See, that’s just it. If someone dissagrees with your inane crap they’re Socialist Libs. LMAO!
Like I thought: you’re commenting on the content, and did not even read it. Typical……Dumb@$$…
I think we’ve found to barest level of intelligence required to operate the Internet.
I was wondering how your stupid @$$ got on, too…LMAO….creating, then remembering that password has to be hard for you….Hahahaha…
Nearly, a dozen likes for us and none for you. Must get lonely on that desert island of a blog. Is that what you tell your disinterested mother of yours you do for “a living”? Do you share checks from the gov’t or do you have independent scams going?
Oh gosh…you’re the popular guy. How can I be you?…LMAO…(:
When the news breaks that Republicans are scum, I hope I get first billing!
Y’all report that everyday. And the winning margin for the GOP just gets wider…LMAO…People must think you’re Dumb@$$#$, and the SCPSD is right…(:
I absolutely guarantee that there are crooked republicrats in SC politics, state and local, fur sure.
Send in your tips … and if they pan out, I would further bet that you would see one of the first reports right here. (You could even send them to your own editor (sic?) but would he/she “stop the presses” for it?)
Hope they don’t forget about past senator Jakie Knotts. He is very corrupt and still slithering around. So far lexington has been struck a big blow with the indictments of danny feasier, Jason Amodio, and Jimmy metts but jakie is still out there and needs to be indicted with the rest of these corrupt bastards. They all sticker together and profited off the illegal gains.
Thank you!!!!! I keep hoping that Jake’s misdeeds will not go unpunished. As you noted, he is likely still involved in quite a bit of dirty dealings from behind the scenes.
I sure as hell hope it is more than the judicial “vote swapping” issue. I am not saying that is unimportant, but for that to be the focus, in a state as corrupt as SC, would be disappointing.
Whether Pleconas or Toal is Chief Justice matters not. Not a dime’s worth of difference in the scheme of things.
Real theft of tax dollars happens every day. It perverts how our government is operated and what it does. The rich and the powerful rape us daily, and there is no penalty, just profit.
I agree, I hope there is more to it than vote swapping.
Powerful people are smart enough to throw a couple of no longer needed good old boys to the wolves occasionally. It is good theatre, but means nothing.
What it means is if there is a judge or legislator that is willing to buck the corrupt pols and actually do what is right for the citizens then they will be kicked out or rendered neutral. That’s what it means you shallow and ignorant POS
It sounds like the Feds were just actively monitoring this particular round of vote purchasing and they caught people red-handed. Hopefully they can use the evidence to open up other areas of corruption. But like you, I’m also concerned they’ll just go for the cheap, easy sting and leave a lot of the big time corruption unpunished.
I really think they started to pay attention when Trikki intimidated the House Ethics Committee into doing nothing to her because ‘everyone else does it’.
What she did was work as an unregistered lobbyist, getting paychecks, while ‘serving’ in the legislature. That is pretty serious violation of the law and corrupt as hell.
I think things expanded from there.
The State points out things about the Legislative Black Caucus, the black Family Court judge they wanted and how votes got traded for that, too. This is going to be very wide ranging.
I would love to see it go back to the Legislative Black Caucus and the TEA Partiers and the deal they cut to block the Amazon tax break the first time around. Then, the LBC changed its votes and Amazon got the break.
I agree. Businesses, private citizens, and PACs paying politicians for votes or influence is the problem. Crony capitalism is the problem. Vote swapping on who will be Chief Justice of the SC Supreme Court is the least of my corruption worries.
Charleston Post and Courier (Harrell’s friends) refuse to touch it. Likely, they are being “probe,” too. We can be certain that any and all forms of communications between the entire statehouse, those who lobby the same – including their clients, others connected in anyway shape or form with the corrupt rogues and pay to play circle, started with their communications being intercepted eons ago. Its when federal agents start making an appearance and conducting interviews, asking questions …. that’s when arrest and search warrants are close to being executed.
.
If Federal investigators working on this case in SC truly have dignity and honor (as I hope they do), they will go out far and wide – take down the corrupt circuit court judges – and take down the lobbyist and their clients in the process. A strong message must be sent. And rounding up more than a dozen or two of these white collar criminals is an absolute must. The people of South Carolina are expecting nothing less. Its been an organized crime ring for way too long.
So, those that are potentially involved have had time to *clean up the house*, so to speak, before the warrants are served. Nice, the only thing they’ll find on the devices they impound are orders to Amazon, unless those served are incredibly stupid.
The Feds hack computers all the time. The Feds also install back door Trojans on unsuspected people’s devices without their knowledge. Most all anti-virus and anti-spyware programs can not detect these Trojans. A Google search will turn up quite a few tech website that cover the methods employed. Fact is, these idiots in the SC General Assembly are mostly clueless to it. Even if they weren’t, they still get too cozy with their illegal conduct. Its too late for them to scrub anything or destroy hard drives. They are already snagged.
Sometimes you have a point about the mainstream media not doing its job. But sometimes, it is just buffoonery on your part. How many sources do you require to verify a story? Getting a hot tip and running with it is not always the responsible thing to do. Cracking open an FBI probe us a tough nut if you need three sources. I do not know how mwny they require. But it is not just one.
Mainstream media does not have a job they do for the taxpayer.
Does it count as one when the “reporter/journalist” speaks to the image in their mirror?
South Carolina Code of Laws: SECTION 2-19-70.
(D) No member of the General Assembly may trade anything of value, including pledges to vote for legislation or for other candidates, in exchange for another member’s pledge to vote for a candidate for judicial office.
(E) Violations of this section may be considered by the merit selection commission when it considers the candidate’s qualifications. Violations of this section by members of the General Assembly shall be reported by the commission to the House or Senate Ethics Committee, as may be applicable. Violations of this section by nonlegislative commission members shall be reported by the commission to the State Ethics Commission. A violation of this section is a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, the violator must be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than ninety days. Cases tried under this section may not be transferred from general sessions court pursuant to Section 22-3-545.
The corrupt lawmakers wrote and passed that statute. And it is seriously weak when it comes to punishment. Go figure.
I wonder how many of these state Reps. were wired. It is about the only way the feds could catch these guys in the act. If I as a state rep. is having a beer with Joe and I say I will vote for your Greenville, SC funding if you vote for my Beaufort County Road Funding bill. This is exactly how politics works in the real world. Does it not? It’s not right but then again it’s only a $1,000.00 fine if it ever even comes out of committee.
Technology has advanced. Remote equipment can turn a cell phone/smart phone into a live (hot) mic ….. and without the owner of said phone ever knowing it was or had been. The FBI has such equipment to do just that.
WOW! They instituted some heavy penalties for their corruption, did they not?
Exactly. Until there are serious criminal penalties, nothing will change.
If the sentence maximum jail time was mandatory, that might deter a few.
But, they expect only a slap on the wrist.
All that matters is they snare Trikki Nikki Haley for all her corruption.
You can bet even federal agents in Washington, DC makes fun and jokes about Jean Toals drinking and driving.
It is interesting that The State article links Rep. Jenny Horne, who Haley has locked “Hornes” with about DSS is tied to this scandal.
Most guys(including straight men) love being probed,especially w/the tongue.It feels really good when you can set up an apparatus that gives you utmost pleasure,but keeps from crushing her head.///http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/231311352648?lpid=82
I don’t know what that is and I really don’t want to know, but it looks like something GT might be highly familiar with.
SC Supreme Court Chief Justice Jeal Toal ——– At the very least, she knowingly, willfully, and intentionally allowed and condoned House Speaker Bobby Harrell campaigning for her. All appearing to be in the least, an intentional violation of the Judicial Canons. I feel sure there is likely much much more that this woman has done that is illegal in nature. I hope she is falls hard. Lord knows she deserves it.
Even if she violated Judicial Canons, with state level Judicial misconduct – Toal is in charge of the investigation – she would investigate herself. I agree with your post.
Greenville News wrote about this issue yesterday, but the Post and Courier has ignored it – even in today’s (Monday’s) edition.
It doesn’t bother me that the real media waits until they have more than one little source whispering in their ear before they publish.
It’s responsible and it covers their butts.
Now, here, we’re still waiting for a book about sex with Trikki.
Vote swapping? Isn’t that called “politics?”