FORMER SPEAKER SLAMS HOUSE “ETHICS” COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN
|| By FITSNEWS || This website led the charge to take down former S.C. Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell. From 2012-2014 – in dozens of posts – we drove the debate that ultimately ended with Harrell pleading guilty to six ethics violations, resigning his office and receiving a three-year probationary sentence.
Since then, we’ve been offered multiple opportunities to take additional swipes at Harrell – including this week, when a S.C. House “Ethics” panel ruled that the former Speaker must cough up more than $113,000 in campaign funds he used to pay his attorneys.
Apparently Harrell’s use of campaign funds to pay his attorneys was improper – and he must now reimburse government for $113,000.
Forgive us for failing to see the relevance here …
Also, the last time we checked the S.C. House “Ethics” Committee has absolutely zero room to sit in judgment … on anyone. These guys have turned looking the other way into a cottage industry in South Carolina.
They’re a joke … in fact this committee’s failure to do its job almost got Harrell off the hook for his campaign finance violations. But now that he’s out of power its members all of a sudden want to look like tough guys dispensing “justice” to their former boss?
Please …
Look, we understand that the echo chamber media (a.k.a. The Nerve and editorial writer Cindi Ross Scoppe of The State newspaper) are all in a tizzy over this “breaking news,” but last time we checked Bobby Harrell was out of office … his political career in tatters.
Translation?
Who cares?
Also, isn’t there plenty of corruption being perpetrated by sitting elected officials? Shouldn’t that be our focus?
Anyway …
Harrell took none too kindly to the timing of the “Ethics” committee ruling. In fact he blasted the committee’s chairman – S.C. Rep. Kenny Bingham – for his lack of transparency and for allegedly violating his (Harrell’s) due process rights.
Here’s the statement Harrell released to the media …
This afternoon, I was informed by the press that a South Carolina House Ethics Committee meeting was called by Kenny Bingham for this morning. He did this without informing me, or anyone on my behalf, that the meeting was taking place or that I was going to be a subject of the meeting. I am told the committee met and discussed my campaign disclosure reports. In that meeting, the committee accused me of violating campaign laws, decided that I had done so, and took action.
All of this was done without any notice to me of the meeting and without affording me the opportunity to be heard by the committee. This was a clear violation of my due process rights.
This action, instigated by Kenny Bingham, was caused to take place the day my daughter-in-law is being admitted to the hospital to give birth to my and Cathy’s first grandchild.
All of the issues discussed by the committee were included as subjects of last year’s investigation. I will be happy to discuss this with anyone after my granddaughter comes home from the hospital.
Bingham, of course, is the state lawmaker who is currently suing this website for libel. He’s also the odds-on favorite to become the next Speaker of the S.C. House of Representatives – a job he might get sooner rather than later depending on how current S.C. Speaker Jay Lucas navigates the fallout from this summer’s contentious debate over the Confederate flag.
Our view?
We’ll say it again … who cares.
Were Harrell still in office – pulling the strings of government hither and yon – we could see the relevance here.
But he’s not. Nor is he ever going to be in that position again.
Which means this whole thing is for show …
34 comments
All of these legislators are cowards and simply recognize they do the same thing. In turn they will not bust anyone else until it becomes painfully clear they have been caught and doomed by the Federal Government. In turn let me say the government in DC is no different. How do you all think the Clinton’s have gotten away with what they have done all these years? Do no be surprised if the FBI’s #1 team clears Clinton. America’s government is corrupt to the bone!
It’s corruption in SC.
Regardless, House rules do *not* permit the use of campaign funds to pay for legal fees, if you’re convicted or plead guilty to the crimes you’re being investigated for. The corrupt bastard should have to pay the money back, and the rest of the corrupt cockroaches should be indicted, tried, hopefully convicted and sentenced to real prison time. The scandal is that Harrell, for all the crimes against humanity (of South Carolinians at least) committed by this bastard, he should have gone to prison for some real punishment, and South Carolina Dept. of Corrections reform. Maybe he could have become a carpenter upon release.
Is he still in the House. Can they enforce the action
He resigned, as part of his plea deal. Yes, the House can enforce their order. Former House member, and then Governor Haley, was investigated over actions during her tenure as a member of the House. The exact enforcement mechanism, I’m unsure of. Probably find him in contempt of the House, and refer the charge to the AG for action. When you are sworn in as a member of the House, you agree to the House rules, even after you’re no longer a member.
The silver lining to the dark cloud is that maybe Harrell will roll over on Bingham. You know he’s got dirt on A LOT of people.
Was this ethics committee meeting public, or was it held in secret (as these House Members typically prefer to do)? If it was public, how the hell didn’t Harrell know about it? and/or Why the hell didn’t Bingham or somebody notify him???
The outcome of this really doesn’t matter to me, but it’s these kind of stupid-ass mistakes by Legislators who consider themselves to be “Sly & Crafty” that all-too-often screw things up. Come on SC Gov’t, why not just do it right the first time?
I mean, the vote was unanimous. Are these Members so spineless that they are still terrified of No-Longer-Speaker Harrell and wouldn’t be able to vote the same way with him present???
I don’t know the details of the meeting logistics. I do know that Harrell knew what the House rules are, that you cannot use political contributions to pay for lawyers, when you plead guilty or are found guilty. Seems to me this was a perfunctory meeting, affirming that the House rules, that Harrell agreed to in conjunction with his service in the House, apply to Harrell. He plead guilty, he can’t use campaign contributions to pay his legal fees.
But, But, But, Jean said she would take of all of this mess if I would pay those guys to vote for her!!!!!
I think Harrell’s campaign donor list is interesting. And so does the FBI.
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You have NO knowledge of what the FBI thinks.
You lie. But why? Just to be destructive? To be a know-it-all?
Grow up and add constructively to the conversation instead of being a punk.
The FBI is not going to do anything to Bobby Harrell. That is where Jean Toal was worth the money Harrell spent on buying her that last re-election. Toal owns and controls Bill Nettles. He will protect his suger-mommy.
Re: Harrell & Queen Jean:
It wasn’t a bribe, it was an investment!
The FBI will not get involved because the corruption you described prevents them from doing so. That makes sense.
Like a phoenix (and me), Bobby will rise from the ashes. This is, after all, South Carolina. You idiots will vote for anyone with an (R) behind their name.
I’m in Rep. Bingham’s corner.
It’s Ok to go after someone who has done wrong. But this site is THE leader in attacking decent people based on your petty little political disagreements, or a squabble over which fat and lazy consultant did not get his taste.
You’re a loser
You’re a loser
And You’re not what you appear to be
Not flip. Don’t see how suing Will helps Bingham.Mistake in my opinion.
Discouraging hate and gossip, based simply on disdain for Republicans, is all good.
Sitting back and taking it, w/o doing anything is not what I’d advise, if you have an option.
Liberals suffer if FITSNews loses. Conservatives gain. That’s what we need more of.
My points was that Fits is a liberal and liberals play the VICTIM card very well. :)
This is a pretty transparent (no pun intended) attempt by Bingham and the Ethics to “appear” to be tough on ethics … you know, now that everybody else has already and they are no longer acting nut-less. Seriously doubt this decision will stand though.
Was it ok for Harrell to pay his lawyers this way? … I don’t know and don’t really care what he does with the private dollars he raised. But should he have been afforded the opportunity to address these charges and defend himself? … Hell yes! No matter who you are, you should have that right.
Regardless, I’m sure these same high-priced attorneys will find a way around this one. After all, Harrell did not plead guilty to all of the original indictments… Who’s to say that this specific payment was not for those items instead of the ones he pleaded guilty to?
Not saying that is the case here or that such a maneuver is proper… But it would be a damn good defense.
The insiders, who hate each other for petty and selfish reasons, are the only ones who really care. I know I don’t. And I see FITSNews just as contemptible as Harrell, just in a different way.
For very character-lacking people to stand in judgement, is just as repulsive as anything they say Harrell did.
Cindy Ross Scoppe is a bully in tattered 1970’s attire. She loves to pile on those that can’t be of use to her, and the kiss butts of the rich and powerful.
Cindy is a great waste of newspaper space.
Scoppe is much like FITSNews and Boz. They so much want to be, and think they are governor… but neither could EVER come close to getting elected to anything, other than president of the Swinging Pervs Club in their white-whine swilling cul-d-sac.
Scoppe is a dumb-ass that wants to be relevant. Her columns are as predictable as Bill Clinton’s love life and as relevant as Pee Wee Herman.
She needs to go.
The State (or McClatchy) lost $11 million in the first quarter of 2015. Probably lost more as the year moves forward. I have not checked lately.
Big Media has no idea that Scoppe, and her constantly hateful, counter-productive, persona is the reason people are cancelling subscriptions to The State, in droves. And nobody buys it off the rack either.
Liberals think they have the right to stuff their radical opinions down the throats of the people they are charged to serve. It does not work like that, and it never will.
But it will take a few bankruptcies for these leftwing zealots to figure that out.
Curtis Loftis bashing women again… Creepy … very creepy.. ” In a Curtis Loftis sort of way” Cindy Ross Scoppe .(August 22, 2015) Curtis Loftis is a dumb-ass that wants to be relevant. Ethics violation coming soon… House oversight committee coming soon… under oath… Loftis… Very difficult for you since you lie, insult and make false allegations against everyone…Slander and multiple vices of the worst kind… Loftis, you need to go…
I believe that Cindy got Curtee by the balls and that he is screeching…..About time… Screech, Loftis, screech…into oblivion…
We understand two huge warehouses are being built just west
of Columbia—we just thought you’d all naturally want to know
The first huge one is to hide the felonies BOTH Harrell and
Bingham have committed—the second?…to house their egos !!!
Loftis should be the one blasted… Loftis added
his frat buddy (Mike Montgomery) to the BNYM lawsuit and he walked away
with 2 million dollars!! Loftis vowed they were not friends… But we
later found out that they were in the same frat and Montgomery was on
the Loftis transition team.
Loftis and Mike Montgomery are intimate personal friends since 1986…Loftis has violated the law that says public officials cannot use their official office to obtain economic interest for ” an individual with whom he is associated” Montgomery was and is on the board of directors for the Saluda Foundation…That business association is the issue in question, said S.C.Ethics Commission director Herb Hayden… $9 million to attorneys…. From the trust fund of retirees…Shame
Is the money returned to the ‘general fund’ used to reimburse those that donated the money to Harrell?
You know, it turns out that Harrell is really a very, very big pussy.