Powerful Palmetto State lawmakers are applying improper pressure on trustees at the College of Charleston (S.C.) in an effort to have the state’s lieutenant governor – one of their former colleagues – named as the school’s next president.
Trustees are being threatened with the loss of their positions, while the companies and organizations they represent are similarly being cajoled in an effort to sway votes. Also, the school itself is being threatened with a reduction in funding in the event S.C. Lt. Gov. Glenn McConnell (RINO-Charleston) is not chosen.
It’s establishment hardball of the worst sort – and it’s one of the worst kept secrets in the Lowcountry (which is probably why it’s being ignored by the pro-establishment mainstream media in the Holy City).
McConnell – previously the ranking “Republican” in the State Senate – covets this six-figure post because he’s facing a difficult primary challenge from S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley’s hand-picked lieutenant gubernatorial candidate, Lowcountry real estate developer Pat McKinney.
This is his life boat, in other words …
FITS has written previously about the pressure applied on McConnell’s behalf by S.C. Chief Justice Jean Toal – but her machinations pale in comparison to the blitzkrieg being mounted by numerous lawmakers.
The ringleader of the effort? Powerful S.C. Senate finance committee chairman Hugh Leatherman (RINO-Florence), who has dispatched Daniel Dukes – a government-funded lobbyist from Francis Marion University – to lead the campaign for McConnell.
“Mr. Dukes has called many board members and inferred (they) could lose their seats and the College could lose funding if they do not support McConnell,” one of our well-placed sources confirms, adding that Dukes “infers he is speaking at the request of legislators.”
He is …
In addition to Leatherman, lawmakers Jimmy Merrill (RINO-Daniel Island) and Leon Stavrinakis (D-Charleston) have reportedly been twisting trustees’ arms on McConnell’s behalf. S.C. Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell (RINO-Charleston) has also been making calls in support of Merrill and Stavrinakis’ efforts.
It’s a full-court press, in other words …
Dukes’ involvement in particular has riled trustees, though.
“This is highly unethical and I would assume he is doing this without the knowledge or approval of the president of Francis Marion,” our source adds. “If the president of Francis Marion is aware of this and has not taken the appropriate steps to stop this then he should be held accountable.”
Really? The president of Francis Marion is Fred Carter – a longtime Leatherman ally. We have no doubt he is not only aware but completely supportive of Dukes’ activities.
The College of Charleston board of trustees is comprised of twenty members; two apiece from each of the South Carolina congressional districts and three at-large members elected by the General Assembly. S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley is also on the board – as are two appointments made by her (one at the direction of the school’s alumni association).
It’s not clear how many of these seats lawmakers have nailed down – although they won’t have to work hard for several of them. After all one seat belongs to the daughter of former S.C. Senate Minority Leader John Land (D-Manning), while another seat belongs to the sister of S.C. Rep. John King (D-York) – even though she has yet to fill out her paperwork for the seat and was questioned during her confirmation hearings about failing to file her income taxes. Another seat belongs to Renee Goldfinch – wife of corrupt S.C. Rep. Stephen Goldfinch (RINO-Georgetown), who is currently under federal indictment for his role in a stem cell poll.
McConnell also directly appointed at least two other board members.
Anyway, in addition to the threats and cajoling – several sources close to the race tell FITS McConnell’s attitude is rubbing some trustees the wrong way.
“The real buzz (in Charleston) is how arrogant McConnell is,” another source familiar with the search process tells us. “He said in the paper he would decide over the holidays whether he would be lieutenant governor or president of (College of Charleston) – as if those are his decisions and not the voters or the trustees. He also hasn’t applied for the job because ‘his resume speaks for itself’ and he should be asked.”
Sheesh …
FITS has previously weighed in against taxpayer-funded positions for former elected officials.
“Elected officials focused on securing six-figure taxpayer-funded lifeboats for themselves clearly do not have the best interests of taxpayers at heart,” we wrote. “And in addition to the cost of paying them these inflated salaries, we’re also on the hook for whatever government largesse they gave away in the process of securing these positions.”
Indeed …
Glenn McConnell has accrued a host of retirement benefits during his three-plus decades as a career Columbia, S.C. politician – time he spent blowing your tax dollars on nonsense like this. Taxpayers do not need to add a mid-six-figure annual salary to his “resume.”
111 comments
The P&C ran an article this AM commenting on the possible effect of McConnell’s Confederate Flag position on increasing minority enrollment/diversity at the College. Not saying McConnell is racist, but he does play one (at least half the time) during re-enactments.
…the possible effect of McConnell’s Confederate Flag position on increasing minority enrollment/diversity at the College…
And TBG (or anyone else) should care? Why?
Why should anyone care about anything?
Say what you mean “Bo!”
Why should anyone care about anything?
TBG told your Mama years ago that she shouldn’t send you to the “government run” school on the reservation (a cesspool of nihilism, teenage alcoholism and despair, if there ever was one).
Exactly how does he play a “racist” during re-enactments?
https://www.google.com/search?q=reenactor+%22Glenn+McConnell%22&lr=&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=O-q4UtGDMsLmsASUvYCoDw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=682
Dressing as a Confederate soldier for a re-enactment makes one a racist? Well I guess Clark Gable and Leslie Howard were racists because of the parts they played in GWTW.
Most of the Trustees on the Board of CofC recieved appointments from various politicians. Why would any of these people be surprised that these same politicians exert influence over the other decisions at the school, including the nomination of the President? I am not interested in McConnell being award the president’s job, but it is perfectly acceptable for McConnell, and any and all others, to muster as much support as he can among these decision makers.
The SC General Assembly continues to stick it to the SC public universities. The board appointments are so incestuous that the trustees bow to the lawmakers’ demands. If the pressure is there, McConnell will be given the job. No doubt! It’s a great day in SC!
Francis Marion College President Fred Carter receives in excess of $100,000 per year in consulting services by “friendlies”. “Friendlies” are businesses or other special interest tapped by Leatherman and Company to hire Carter for services of dubious value. They are not reportable as they are unrelated to government, It keeps Carter “compliant” to Leatherman’s desire and ensures that FM’s assets are Leatherman’s assets.
That is something that happens a lot in SC. Why do you think the State Chamber and Manufactures Asso give relatively small amounts of money to elected officials. They give it by other means. BTW, Florence is the center of corruption in SC so this post is no surprised.
Where do I sign up for that gig?
Carter is one of the most immoral and corrupt people to ever hold a position in State Government. He and Leatherman are unethical to the core.
Carter was hated by the employees of the Budget and Control Bd. when he was executive director. He was an activist on the part of any powerful Legislator and would demand of staff to do whatever he and the Legislators wanted, no matter how corrupt and unethical. Carter started the “Sister State” program with Germany and would take an entourage of Legislators and staff, at State expense.
Many side trips, drinking and food were the name of the game.
Carter built a docier on Staff and legislators to use as a means of getting his demands and desires. He ruled Staff as a tyrant, known for violent profanity laced outbursts and threats. He did this with Women and men also threatening bodily harm, if he did not get his demands met immediately. It was rumored the B&C Board protected him in a harrassment suit. He was definately their “Boy”.
I think he was capable of most any kind of atrocity and misuse of power, or authority.
I think you are full of shit, if anything. Sounds like he just made you work
Fried sounds like a redneck scholar from Florence. I suspect heavily involved in the Leatherman Empire, with emphasis on Francis Marion.
Fried, how many tax dollars have you skimmed off the top this morning?
Amen to that!
Mike,
Please make sure Susan take her Lithium.
FA
P.S. Cousin Eddie wants his turtleneck back
I can attest to the things related by same ol. I worked for the board and saw many questionable ethical amd immoral activities by Carter and his minions. He was and probably still is an immoral, corrupt person of questionable ethics. He is an enforcer and Lt. in the Political Mafia which permeates Government in South Carolina. I’m sure the employees, of Francis Marion Universit, can relate many, many similiar stories of their own.
Carter has the worse trash mouth I’ve ever heard. Fried Hayek may even be Carter himself.
I sure someone remembers the sexual harrassment suit, I’ve heard rumored, which I heard was hushed up.
Carter is just another Leatherman Lt. , like Reynolds Williams.
Dear Susan,
Please take your Lithium and stop taking the last Twinkie from the break room.
FH
The real Friedrich Hayek was a brilliant man of honor and moderate temperament.
Our blogging Mr. Hayek is a foul mouthed man of moderate intellect, but substantial ego. Hubris of this type comes from a man needing reassurance; a small weeny means a lifetime of compensating.
Ted, “go back to Trinidad”, tired of pinging your ip
When’s credible threats are made against public figures, sometimes Department of Defense analyst are authorized to collect data. (Wink)
I was in state government during these times and I remember Carter’s activities well. He is an “old school” lieutenant for the rich and powerful. He works at their pleasure and he, and people such as Sam Griswold and Eddie Gunn, were sent out to justify and manage their master’s crooked actions for a handsome price. That price, of course, is paid from the state’s budget.
Men without a conscience, especially those dressed in suits and that appear kindly in person but act with ferocity when behind closed doors, are the most dangerous in government. They make all corruption possible. They are well paid and the are good, very good, at lying.
Gunn and Carter were operatives in the Campbell Administration. Gunn mayn have been an operative for with and for Carter and now works for the sicko Comptroller Little Dickie EEEckstrom.
I doubt seriously Sam Griswold was ever involved in any activity which was not above board for Carter. He left the Board and was a well respected director at DSS and Health and Human Services long before Carter assumed the position.
You may be thinking of Charlie Smith or Rick Kelly, both Carter sychophants and Lieutenants.
Sam Griswold was just as bad as the others though his demeanor was better.
Did you know know the real reason he left HHS? The scandal around his “charity work and pay? The allegations of steering contracts to his friends?
Now he is on the board and a ” in the background facilitator” for Consumers Choice Health Care which is one of the new health insurance co-ops Obama created. Sam Griswold, a rabid democrat, helped secure a $65,000,000 loan from the feds to open the co-op and guess what, those loans may not even have to be aid back!
Sam has made fortune off the taxpayer and continues to do so to this day. He sells his government contacts and his ability to be completely amoral.
Front Desk, just ask around and you will find out Sam is as bad as the others, just low key.
All I can say is you know a different Griswold than I do. You are making some pretty serious allegations. Do you have any proof? And, if so, what is it? Hopefully you would not dis a person’s reputation on no hard evidence. Dishonorble, that.
I agree. Sam Griswold is a good, honest man. Notice he has no problem revealing who he is on here. How about the rest of you who want to talk crap? Who are you?
Ask Griswold about his “consulting contracts.” Leatherman has arranged several of them for Sam’s “faithful service” to him.
Whoa! Sam Griswold is the worst HHS director, ever! Maybe he’s a close second to Bill Prince, who Gov. Jim Hodges sent in to replace him after only nine months mis-service. Sam arrived with two henchmen and a crazy as hell secretary, and none of them were worth a damn for anything except lying to legislators and persecuting staff. Sam has the experience of having been fired by two governors, David Beasley and Jim Hodges, and screwed over royally by Treasurer Curtis Loftis.
Yes, Kelly was one of Carters henchmen and enforcers. He was able to stay under the radar with the help of the power base until he totally screwed up with the “USC’s biomass plant debacle” , as reported by the State News Paper costing the SC taxpayers millions.
I think he would be the most likely candidate.
Griswold and Carter were both contenders for the BCB Director job. Carter, with Campbell’s help, won the contest and Griswold left for DSS shortly after. As best I can determine, he and Carter were more competitors than partners. I never knew him to carry Carter’s agenda. Griswold was ambitious but that is about the worst I can say about him–and is that really a negative?
I agree! I worked with Griswold at HHS and found him straight forward and honest, with a desire to improve the agency.
Sam is a very liberal democrat and Campbell never liked or trusted him. It made since for Carroll to go with a the more conservative Carter. Sam’s trouble started later and his leaving HHS was a real mess but the administration did a pretty good job of keeping it quiet. I did not know he was involved with the new health insurance company till I read the above post but that makes sense, Like everything in Obama’s administration it comes down to favoritism, cronyism and huge taxpayer funded subsidies. The founders and intimates of Consumer’s Choice, like Sam, will all get rich whether or not they last very long or serve a lot of people. More 21 century wealth building; Friends of Friends getting rich and the taxpayers getting fleeced.
You may be right. However, Griswold was appointed by Campbell to head DSS and he served on Cambell’s cabinet. Surely a conservative like Campbell wouldn’t appoint him to run the welfare agency if he distrusted him. Sounds like he was trusted enough to be given responsibility for one of the state’s biggest agencies. I don’t know how liberal he is but so what? Different approaches to government are what makes the USA so unique. He was on Cambell’s cabinet and Hodges’ cabinet. Looks to me that both Republicans and Democrats trusted him enough to give him big responsibilities. But maybe you are right. I don’t know for sure and would not presume to make such outlandish statements until I could prove them. How do you know? Just saying something about somebody does not make it true. That’s a Curtis Loftis approach to facts: Say it and it must be true (sound familiar?). Like the BNY-Mellon settlement. You seem to have an ulterior motive. The facts I know do not support what you say. You must have facts I do not have. I repeat: How do you know? Or are you just jealous, which it sounds like to me. Once again, other than just saying it’s so, how do you know?
I don’t know Carter. Know Griswold just a little, but just looked at his Facebook page. He looks like a Racist to me. Look at the last line of his Facebook page where he just can’t “understand their mindset.” Typical “progressive”, he thinks he owns the blacks and knows how they should vote.
(Sam Griswold) Brigitte, SC is not like the rest of the USA. We still believe in plantations and rule of the landed gentry. There were enough democrats in this district to defeat Sanford. They did not vote. Most of them were Black. I am very disappointed in them. They had an opportunity to exercise their power and the chose not to do it. What mind set precipitates that? I cannot fathom it.
Griswold would do well to drop the arrogant notion that he can instruct the blacks to vote like he wants. I am going to see if Carter has a facebook page. That might be as crazy as Griswolds.
Wow. Was he wearing a sheet when he wrote that?
But let me ask this, why are we talking about this is a thread about C of C?
That is akin to hate speech. It ought not be tolerated by people in the year 2013.
Racist ought to be driven off Facebook. They should not be tolerated.
At HHS Sam was known to be a bit partial to the black ladies.
I worked with Campbell and knew Griswold well. Campbell had great confidence in Griswold. He had no idea what a tyrant and abuser Carter was. That was all hidden from Carroll.
The State and Francis Marion are lucky to have not been sued.
None had to worry about suits with Griswold, he had intefgrity, expected honesty and professionalism. Carter just wanted what he wanted right, wrong, or not!
Campbell did NOT have great confidence in Griswold. Perhaps at first, but as time went on he detested him. I worked for the Gov and heard many a conversation about Sam and others that the Gov thought “had never had a real job in their lives”. He used them till he could find better people to replace them. I don’t give a rip about C of C, Griswold or Carter, but I do care when people tell tales about Campbell. I remember the controversy about his stint at the HHS and United Way. I remember we did a good job of keeping it quiet, but if Sam if goon push this crap that Carroll like and respected him.. …
I would suspect references to me in these comments are an attempt by the Treasurer or his lackeys to sully my reputation. These allegations are categorically untrue (which I can prove) and represent the Treasurer’s effort to criticize me because I disagree with him regarding his activities as a spoiler on the Retirement System Investment Commission and his settlement of a case with Bank of New York Mellon on a settlement for the retirement fund that included $9 million in attorney fees one of whom was his fraternity brother and friend. He has little room to talk about contracts given to friends or huge payments to buddies. (Neither of which I ever did and he cannot name one example of such.) I challenge anybody to name one contract Senator Leatherman sent my way. There are none since they don’t exist. I left the Budget and Control Board when Fred Carter became Executive Director to become Director of DSS. I was on Carroll Campbell’s cabinet and always felt I had his greatest trust. His instructions to me when I took the job: Sam, I don’t know the details of what DSS needs but you have full authority to fix it. If I can be of help, let me know. That should be recorded in the BCB minutes. It was hands off after that unless I requested his assistance. He mentioned his confidence in me in one of his State of the State speeches when he indicated he had the right person at DSS. Campbell did give me the Order of the Palmetto after my service at the end of his term which he did not have to do and which, I would suggest, indicates he appreciated my service. At least that is what he said. My relationship with Carter was the same as any other agency head–no more, no less. I retired from HHS after 30 years of service and then was asked by the United Way of SC to become their chief executive officer. I agreed to serve for a year but insisted during that time they find a permanent replacement because I was ready to retire. I challenge anybody to show how I receive any money for my service on the Board of Directors of Consumers Choice Health Care. These are unpaid positions done as a public service. Federal rules governing this program prohibit any Board member from being paid or profiting in any way. Ask any Board member or read the law. When I joined the Board, the $67 million loan had already been negotiated and I had nothing to do with that. Regarding racism, I challenge you to name any other manager in state government who has hired more minorities into significant positions than did I. There is not one. I have long been known as a promoter of equal opportunity and practiced what I preach. Just ask, you will see. This type of character assassination with not one scintilla of proof is typical of how our Treasurer finds “truth,” at least his truth, which seldom bears much relationship to reality. This is cheap disgraceful behavior and demonstrates a paucity of character that is seldom seen in government officials. How he justifies making these comments in a conversation about the College of Charleston, I do not know. I guess he was just waiting for an opportunity and took his cheap shot. Very disgusting when you know what is really happening. I can only await the next shot.
Sam Griswold
This is crazy talk. I thought all this was about the Lt. Gov. You people need to find somewhere else to crap. You gonna give Fits a bad name and that is hard to do.
I think the Lt Gov would make a good Pres. He has the contacts, and the ability. The reenactment stuff is of no concern to thinking people, so lets not worry about that.
Good luck Glenn.
Good afternoon Sam. Hope the Holidays have found you and your family well
Haven’t seen your handle in the comments section before so I will assume(dangerous word if there was ever one and one that I will come back to) that you may have not noticed the heading of this blog – unfair and imblanced – and that it is – This blog is kinda like the Mel Gibson movie two men enter, one man leaves
Couple of points: There are a lot, whole lot, of Retirees who are more than mildly concerned about their benefits. Personally I have zero confidence in Leatherman, Williams or Ryberg and with the few contacts I have in State Government their feelings are the same
Loftis, like it or not/right or wrong, is wearing the White Hat –
Now back to assume – the one word that can make an ass out of you and me simultaneously. Your assumption that Loftis or someone in his camp is behind the comments regarding your career in State Government and your personal values – well that is what it is – an assumption no more factual than the comments posted about you
Hopefully all of this dialogue will result in a forensic audit of the State Pension Fund with recommendations to restore confidence in its management
jimlewis,owb
The investment commission has come u with a thousand ways to bash Loftis. They will do anything to keep from addressing the organized stupidity of our investments.I am not in love with any politician but I can count and do a little research and I don’t like what I find. I hope Loftis can hang in there because that investment commission needs a cleaning out.
Thank you, jimlewis, owb. I hope the holidays found you and your family well, too. You are correct, lots of assumptions exist here. However, I am proud of my career and it just hit me wrong that several very erroneous comments that provided no proof whatsoever would go on line unchallenged. There is a lot of history which led me to my assumption. But it may be–even probably is–questionable. I have no proof. But that does not appear to be a criteria at play here.
Sam Griswold
If any group ever needed a forensic audit it is the Investment Commission. To pay 420 million dollars in fees is beyond imagination.
You should use quotations when quoting from that Forbes article, the comments section shows the author and Loftis getting served.
Why is that beyond imagination?
The above post is more a rant against Loftis than a defense of Griswald. Who knows who wrote any of this stuff, it is all anonymous. Someone is bashing Loftis and there is nothing new about that. The Investment Commission pays people to bash him all the time.
How much do they pay? You don’t have to make things up to bash Loftis. Just tell the truth. I have a close friend working at the Treasurer’s office. He/she tells me the place is unraveling.
Just more bullshit from the insiders at the investment commission.
Sam, you whored yourself out when you sold out the State Retirees Assn so you could have a seat on the PEBA Board –a seat that Hugh Leatherman gave to Frank Fusco, who is ten times the administrator that you will ever be. You and that ge-gunk honey keeper from York were so far in bed with Curtis Loftis that you had your eyes closed when he screwed you right out of everything — but not BEFORE you sold out the retirees, giving up a law that allowed up to a 3% annual pension increase for a potential 1%. Go home little man.;
Kids started dying at a rate that even for SC was unacceptable, and little Sam couldn’t do a thing about it. And it was Beasley who hired him and fired him. His incompetence at HHS was such that Hodges had to let him go also. In between those gigs, he ran a real hazy foundation
Nothing will ever be done about Carter’s questionable activities, which skirt periously close to the legal edges.
He has been and will be protected by Leatherman, Jean Toal, David Wilkins, Bobby Harrell, the Peelers and other powerful people in SC Govt. They cannot afford for his actions to be scrutinized, all hands are filthy with the stinch of questionable, activities of immoral and unethical goings on!
I did not know they had much money in Florence. Confederate money? Greenbacks? Pesos?
Tobacco is the currency of choice. Not a bad one too, if you think about it.
What the hell is a Quimby?
North of Bolivia, I think. Where Hitler went after the war.
A Hayek with a penis in his A$$!
The Redneck from Ravenel was a piece of shit when he was an undergraduate at CocC
The Redneck from Ravenel was a piece of shit after he graduated from CofC
The Redneck from Ravenel will be a piece of shit when he becomes President of CofC
It is his destiny –
to be a piece of shit President of a former Historic Private College that has become a piece of shit in a Historic City that has become a piece of shit in a Great State that has become of piece of shit
So shit it
A lot of people have been shocked about how ineptly the Lt Gov handled the replacement of several elderly people on the Aging Council. Most peopel do not know that the office of aging has continued along with the appointment of Treasurer Curtis Loftiss. This summer Loftiss’s handpicked person whose name is Mary (and who worked for the corrupt Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce) took over the council, but they knocked off a number of elderly people who were serving. No letter of thanks from McCOnnell, no certificate, no nothing. Just a letter saying if you do not hear from us, then you are gone. Everyone says this is due to McConnell’s former secrtretary running things as his chief of staff. She was good at watching his back for 30 years but not so good at a high profile job. At any rate, everybody is saying this slap in the face is clear sign he is out of there.
C of C was a municipal college. Not a private college
You have just enough dick to be dangerous
On March 19, 1785, the College of Charleston was chartered to “encourage and institute youth in the several branches of liberal education.”
Several of the College’s founders and initial supporters played key roles in the American Revolution and in the creation of the new republic. Three were signers of the Declaration of Independence and another three were framers of the U.S. Constitution
In 1837, the College became the nation’s first municipal college when the City of Charleston assumed responsibility for its support.
For its first 53 years CofC was “private” – peckerhead
The current members of the Board and candidate Redneck from Ravened McConnell aren’t qualified to carry the piss pot of the founders
McC attended CofC post 1837, so all the above crap is irrelevant to your original error. Testy old fart.
ouch
Why isn’t the board looking for, you know… someone with higher education experience? Maybe a provost at a larger school, a president of a similar sized school, etc…? What does being Lt. Governor or being married to a Governor have to do with running a university? God I love the stupidity only found in South Carolina.
CofC has a history of selecting non academic types for President.
Ted Stern ,who oversaw the conversion of the school to a state university, back in the sixties and seventies, was a retired Navy captain and Alex Sanders was a retired Judge.
Both were deemed successful in the position.
The problem is that most academics can’t walk and chew gum at the same time.
I know this is just my Carolina degree at work, but Dukes “implied.” The person listening may have “inferred.” (picky picky) Let me also say that I now work at a university with a former governor as President, and this trend of rewarding politicians with university posts should stop. It doesn’t serve anyone well, and I can’t see how CofC would benefit in any way. Most of these good ol’boys can’t adapt to the University culture — both are flawed systems — but this would not work. Guess we’ll find out!
Thankfully some one else can read too. Again, that could be a FITS news’ genius ploy to save itself from libel – “oh we were just talking about what Dukes was inferring, he never implied anything to our knowledge…”. I also love that readers take such slackly written post and just ASSUME they are true and go from there.
This is why you need Jenny Sanford at the helm. She would be highly effective and wouldn’t take any guff. She’s dealt with complicated financial issues, and high level mergers and acquisitions in her career. She has developed and focused the message of and managed the career of a disordered person. Recognized the f-upedness and dispatched said person in a dignified and measured way despite the abuses. She raised 4 fine boys. She’s got the connections for fund raising. By all accounts, she is ethical and moral.
Too bad she is as likeable as a rattlesnake.
Now, now Mark, just because she’s done feeding you ego kibbles and done letting you eat your cake, done spackling over your messes, and done helping with your finances, that’s no reason to blameshift. Someone get up on the wrong side of his futon?
Well said Jenny!
They keep this up, and the dirt on McConnell will surface. And some of the dirt is so bad, it could cause McConnell and his cronies to be arrested by Federal Agents. Leave the elections alone, you fools.
Every time ANY politician is mentioned here,someone appears and announces they are going to Jail.Yeh yeh yeh…
Attorneys in SC underwrite the Attorney’s General political races thusly they have a true say in what the AG does.
The AG’s are not going put their backers or their clients in jail. It just is not going to happen. The AG’s are stenographers for the rich and powerful and until that changes we will languish in corruption and ineptitude.
Ok.so why then engage in this continuing nonsense. Its tedious and boring.There is NO evidence,except for the mush emanating from the fevered imaginations of those who post here that anyone is “going go jail.”
Many years ago I was Commissioner of Pilotage for the Port of Charleston, and my background is in steamship agency, stevedoring and marine terminal operations, so I know well Charleston’s waterfront including the harbor pilot community and the S.C. State Ports Authority (SCSPA).
I also live in McConnell’s Senate District 41 (one mile from him) and so know him and follow him closely.
One day in 1998 the President of the Charleston Pilots Association and then-Chairman of the S.C. State Ports Authority, Capt. Whit Smith, got an unusual and threatening phone call from a McConnell “spokesman” that resembles the threatening phone calls described here.
McConnell fancies himself a dignified statesman and doesn’t threaten others directly; he uses porte-paroles, intermediaries, thugs, bums, bag-men, and lackeys — especially other corrupt politicians (Grooms, Leatherman, Merrell, etc.) — to do it for him.
McConnell’s “spokesman” or “bagman” for the call to Smith as SCSPA Chairman was former S.C. Rep. Wallace Scarborough (R-Chas.), and according to Smith went like this (simplified version, not verbatim):
Scarborough / McConnell: Hi there, Whit. Wallace here. Calling on behalf of Glenn McConnell. Glenn’s got a favor to ask. Well, basically a favor to demand. From you.
Smith / SCSPA: What???!! Come again? What’s that?
Scarborough / McConnell: Glenn needs to raise $15 million of contributions annually from companies and individuals to pay for the Hunley. Getting the rust off, fixing it up, making it nice, fixing up a building, buying lab equipment, that kind of stuff.
Smith / SCSPA: Oh, the Hunley, right . . . I saw it on TV . . .
Scarborough / McConnell: Well, Glenn created something called Chairman of the Hunley Commission, made himself Chairman, chose all its members, and has tapped everyone he can for the max they really can give. Squeezed ’em pretty well: BMW, Piggly Wiggly, BellSouth, BlueCross, AT&T, Nexsen Pruett, etc. but there’s only so much they can give, and they’re maxed out, really. Needs more money.
Smith / SCSPA: McConnell want contributions from us harbor pilots?
Scarborough / McConnell: No, no, no. Glenn wants the money to come from the State Ports Authority, in a round-about way.
Smith / SCSPA: I’m not following you. He wants the SCSPA to donate to the Hunley?
Scarborough / McConnell: Sort of. Here’s the deal. You — well, the SCSPA need $10 million a year from the legislature in matching funds for federal Corps of Engineer harbor maintenance dredging, right?
Smith / SCSPA: Yes. What are you getting at, Wallace?
Scarborough / McConnell: You know, Glenn can arrange for the legislature NOT to appropriate that $10 million, and for YOU my friend — the SCSPA — to pony up that money. SCSPA needs and wants that $10 million dredge money, right?
Smith / SCSPA: Sure. It’s always been the state’s responsibility, not the SCSPA’s. SCSPA only acts as the fiscal intermediary for the Corps.
Scarborough / McConnell: Relax. We can solve that problem and ensure that the $10 million dredging money keeps flowing just like always. But there’s a catch. SCSPA must do something for the good senator.
Smith / SCSPA: What are you talking about?
Scarborough / McConnell: Call it what you want. Glenn is very friendly with Warren Lasch, a guy from Michigan who just moved to Kiawah, owns a trucking company that hauls BMWs all over the country. They’re personal friends. Very close. When the Hunley was raised Lasch was next to McConnell on the barge and got . . . well, very emotional, hugged Glenn and said, “We did it!” I don’t know how to explain the relationship between Lasch and McConnell. . . But the guy is absolutely loaded. He’s got a financial statement that would blow your mind. He’s swimming in money.
Smith / SCSPA: Never heard of the guy.
Scarborough / SCSPA: Well, Lasch just volunteered to become Chairman of Friends of the Hunley, Inc. That’s a nonprofit corporation that Glenn just got John Hazzard, his Chief of Staff, to establish for him as Chairman of the Hunley Commission. [Are you readers following all this money?] Glenn appoints all the board members to everything. Warren Lasch has just now volunteered to be its President and “personally” raise the $15 million, even give money out of his own pocket.
Smith / SCSPA: Sheesh. What is Lasch, a Civil War enthusiast? What’s that, owns a trucking company? Does business with BMW?
Scarborough / McConnell: I’ll make a long story short. Lasch wants a shipping terminal at the old Navy Base that Jock Stender wants to use. Word is, from Duane Grantham, who is COO at the SCSPA (you know, HE WORKS FOR YOU AS SCSPA CHAIRMAN), that Stender is very clever and is already traveling around the world to get new cargo from other ports to ship through that terminal.
Smith / SCSPA: Okay.
Scarborough / McConnell: Well, Lasch and BMW want Stender’s terminal. Stender calls it the Zulu Terminal. He plans to use it to ship breakbulk frozen chicken to Russia using the cold storage warehouse on the Base. On the waterfront Jock Stender’s referred to as “the chicken man.”
Smith / SCSPA: What’s that got to do with the SCSPA?
Scarborough / McConnell: Well, McConnell wants you, that is, the SCSPA, to put Stender out of business, get Stender’s lease cancelled, get help from Ric Tapp (he’s the Nexsen Pruett lawyer who does all the Hunley legal work pro bono). In fact, Ric Tapp and Bill Schachte are both part owners and Vice Presidents of Lasch’s new startup marine terminal company. It’s called CIP. Charleston International Ports LLC.
Smith / SCSPA: So. . .
Scarborough / McConnell: Look, if you don’t cooperate and give Lasch, Tapp and Schachte a long-term, 30-year lease at the Navy Base for Stender’s shipping terminal, Glenn says he’ll simply cut off the state’s $10 million-a-year contribution to the harbor dredging and he’ll make the SCSPA eat the cost.
Smith / SCSPA: I see. . .
Scarborough / McConnell: Understood? Agreed? Wanna pay the $10 million?
Smith / SCSPA: Well, if you put it that way, I don’t see any way we can afford to cross McConnell, so yes, okay. We’ll put Stender out of business, get Stender’s terminal from him, and lease it to Lasch’s company. Never heard of it, what’s it called? CIP? And CIP is going to hire Grantham, SCSPA’s Chief Operating Officer, directly from the SCSPA? Grantham will resign from SCSPA and go directly and immediately to work for CIP??? Okay, I give up.
Scarborough / McConnell: Wonderful. Glenn thought you’d see things his way.
#####
Upshot:
Warren F. Lasch, a convicted federal criminal (U.S. District Court, Lansing, Michigan; pension fund abuse; plaintiff U.S. Dept. of Labor), got his company, CIP, co-owned by Vice Presidents Richard Tapp and William “Bill” Schachte, a 30-year “profit-sharing license” with the SCSPA, signed by Grantham / SCSPA, which got the “master lease” from the Charleston Naval Complex Redevelopment Authority (CNCRDA — A STATE AGENCY). McConnell wrote threatening letters to CNCRDA board members also to give CIP its shipping terminal “forthwith” — cosigned by four other senators.
CIP almost immediately hired SCSPA Chief Operating Officer L. Duane Grantham to operate CIP, even though Grantham (a) had negotiated the lease for BOTH SCSPA (lessor) and CIP (lessee) and (b) state ethics statute prohibits such employment of negotiators who have done business with state entities within one year of departure from state jobs. Under deposition, Grantham admitted that he was the COO of CIP and directly operated it but that he was technically employed by a “phantom” company in Nevada (Opportunity Research, Inc.) — basically a post office box. Grantham’s business cards, letters and other communications indicated that he was President of CIP. Grantham earned close to $300,000 annually and reported directly to Lasch, Tapp and Schachte. CIP then hired Elliott Summey, son of North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey for $35,000 annually even though, according to Grantham, Summey had “no maritime experience” and “mostly ran errands.” Mayor Summey and the City of North Charleston control three of the CNCRDA’s seven board seats. [Readers still following the money?]
The Legislative Audit Council investigated CNCRDA, SCSPA and CIP/Hunley and found gross conflicts of interest, corruption, and lack of transparency.
In Carolina Marine Handling, Inc. vs. CIP, Federal Maritime Commission Docket 99-16, Federal Administrative Law Judge found in a 76-page Finding of Fact that the SCSPA had engaged in capricious, monopolistic and anti-competitive behavior, in violation of the Shipping Act of 1984, in its relationship with CIP, against Carolina Marine Handling, Inc., which is now out of business.
http://www.fmc.gov/assets/1/Documents/9800716E9305486E8162C99FA8B9921A.pdf
U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings, at my request, personally intervened with the U.S. Dept. of Transportation’s Maritime Administration to cancel a $1 million annual “layberthing contract” that MARAD had awarded to CIP when CIP was awarded a lease on a Navy Base pier that was not available to any other party to lease. Regarding this secret deal between McConnell, Summey, CNCRDA, MARAD, SCSPA and CIP, I personally met with MARAD in Hollings’ office and watched three MARAD executives apologize profusely for their “mistake in calculation” and issued a “cancellation of contract.” (Corruption in South Carolina agencies — like the CNCRDA and the SCSPA — and colleges, and departments — is ubiquitous and suffocating our entire state like a poison gas.)
Lasch, who had no marine terminal experience or expertise, did not operate his “startup” marine terminal company but rather lived / “worked” in a Kiawah mansion at 41 Ocean Course Drive (later sold to a Georgia LLC owned by John Kerry for $10.5 million).
Lasch, the convicted federal criminal, received the “Palmetto Award” and an “Honorary Degree” from The Citadel after McConnell threatened its Board of Visitors President with “cutoff of state funding” — $12 million. [Again, readers, does this sound familiar? Are you connecting the dots by now?]
The Warren Lasch / Ric Tapp / Bill Schachte “startup” shipping company CIP never earned a dime; refused to comply with its SCSPA “profit-sharing license agreement”; had its threatening letters to SCSPA “ghost written” by McConnell and Hazzard (I have copies of them); and had “zero equity” according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers “CIP Forensic Audit” — costing $175,000 — which you can request from the SCSPA in .pdf format. (Tel. 843-723-8651, contact Barbara Melvin) VERY INTERESTING READING. WHY DIDN’T SOMEONE GO TO JAIL FOR THIS?
While SCSPA was suing CIP to terminate its “profit-sharing license agreement” and recover the nearly $5 million in losses CIP had incurred, McConnell publicly keel-hauled and threatened the SCSPA, praising CIP’s lawyer Gedney Howe in the Post and Courier (“Gedney ain’t on no charity run.”) and compelled the SCSPA to settle with CIP for zero.
The SCSPA absorbed and paid the $5 million “CIP loss” (liabilities) and accounted for this $5 million by CAPITALIZING IT AND BURYIG IT IN ITS FOOTNOTES, TO BE WRITTEN OFF OVER 30 YEARS. [Still following the money?]
Both the U.S. Navy AND the Hunley Commission admitted that they had “no oversight” for the tens of millions of dollars it paid to the Friends of the Hunley, Inc., which refused to comply with a FOIA accounting of the money filed by Edward D. “Ned” Sloan of Greenville, who sued FOH and prevailed in compelling it to admit that it WAS subject to the FOIA. Ned Sloan spent $136,000 in that lawsuit, and still nobody (except Lasch) knows where the money actually went. I was named a co-conspirator defendant in that lawsuit, subpoenaed and deposed. This was an action that Friends (and Tapp, McConnell, and Schachte) would regret as I had accumulated evidence of gross misspending of public monies; they later dropped me as a defendant.
McConnell, then-owner of CSA Galleries, Inc., which sold confederate memorabilia, co-mingled orders and inventory with the Warren F. Lasch Restoration Laboratory, which conducted tours and sold the same merchandise to tourists.
McConnell instructed Lasch, as Chairman of “Friends,” to collect confidential operations cost data from “Friends” public relations contractor, Advent Media, Inc. (Charleston), emailed them to Richard Quinn Associates Inc. (Rep. Ric Quinn, R-Columbia), and for Quinn to “underbid” Advent by a small amount, thereby winning, without public bidding, a $250,000 annual PR contract. Quinn does “public relations” work for McConnell. [Still following the money?]
The impartial State Integrity Organization, funded by the Rita Allen Foundation and the Rockefeller Fund and the (www.stateintegrity.org) ranks South Carolina’s STATE government as “fifth most corrupt” nationally, and it got that way after decades of hard work by the likes of McConnell, Leatherman, Merrill, Grooms, Courson, Land, and Verne Smith.
If CofC trustees allow McConnell to foist himself upon them as he did the SCSPA, the CNCRDA, and The Citadel with his Hunley “friend” Lasch (the criminal), it will really be, well, criminal.
Jock Stender, Charleston
I have never met Jock Stender but have followed this entire affair closely, and he speaks the truth (mostly, as it is his side of things). However, the facts are clearly stated and agree with my knowldege.
People. powerful people, should be in jail but no one in power will stand up to these people. Crooks in SC government are closely linked and as long as everyone get their share it will continue. After all, it is the taxpayer that pays the bills and they are powerless.
There is always much convo about corruption in SC but experience teaches me the corrupt stay in power and the reformers are run off.
That seems to be problematic. We need to pull a swithcer-roo. Let’s try keeping the honest people around and losing the crooks.
The Waterfront in Charleston has always been a colorful place. I suppose all waterfronts are. Unions, foreigners, big bucks, travel, etc all seem to make a place where interesting things happen. I remember my father talking about it when I was a kid in the 50’s. I was fascinated then and as I am now.
I concur with the author.. I lived through this as my spouse was involved with this mess. People should have been jailed for their activities.
I don’t doubt your story. But I have to wonder what Fritz got out of helping you. He’s not exactly a choir boy, either.
Bravo, FITS. Well done. Glenn is an alumnus of the C of C, and was President of the student assembly. No doubt he is bright and talented but he is guaranteed nothing in this world—just like the rest of us. He has indeed used government and politics to enrich himself immensely. He is a social climber, converting from the Methodist to the Episcopal Church I believe in Charleston his church is the High Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion, where every Sunday the church and Glenn are bathed in incense for a good hour and a half. I think the incense has gotten to his brain. No real Episcopalian in the south is High Church. The church in the south was always very Low Church.
What this story reveals is that public is electing simple-minded dumpsters who have no value for the integrity of our institutions and willingly toy with the very fabric of our society that most of us depend on to inspire higher consciousness. The recent stories of in SC of corruption, fraud, ethics violations, federal charges also shows that we are well past the tipping point, and now its whack-a-mole time….just a matter of who will be revealed as next in the club of corruption, plunder and pillage South Carolina club. Bravo FITS!
“well-i-am-nobody”..you get an A for effort regarding your eloquential attempt, but even having used auto-thesaurus, your fictional excercise was quite futile. If you want to see the fabric of America, visit the God-fearing rural communities in the state, instead of misplacing the title upon dirty hippies.
I agree totally the fabric of America are the God-fearing rural communities. That is the honest truth. I am saying that we all have collectively allowed things to drift away from this truth by allowing ourselves to be deceived at all levels by electing individuals who have shown no interest in carrying our values into the halls of our great institutions.
Touché
“the fabric of America are the God-fearing rural communities”
Hah! Even a glance at the news headlines through the years puts the lie to that one.
Pack up your hula hoops and patchouli hemp, buy a greyhound bus ticket, and get back on Phish tour before I tell Trey you are communicating with the real world. Nice hair beads mon’
Pursuant to the United States Code, it sounds like McConnell and his cronies are committing felonies. I think we need to have the Dept of Justice put them all under close watch and also have the NSA keep an EXTRA close eye on all of them – even using their cellphones/smartphones like listening devices. No need for SLED to be used by McConnell’s cronies. They will just end up on the wrong side of the law with the rest of these thugs.
What shall we call this federal operation? We need a name for it.
This is where Jean Toal comes in. US Attorney Bill Nettles is Alex Sanders’ ex-son in law. Toal made Sanders a bunch of money with the Charleston School of Law getting its accreditation. Consequently Toal made Nettles’ 2 kids – Sanders’ only grandchildren – very rich. Now it’s Nettles’ turn to return the favor. Keep the Feds off of her buddies and their shenanigans. Leatherman and McConnell – not to mention Knotts – all have their own connections at SLED and don’t need Toal’s protection there. Toal likes to tell them she is protecting them there, however.
The NSA already has a large cache of data on them all.
,,,,and done nothing with it. Toal is scum. It’s amazing no one has outed her for being the corrupt crook she really is so far.
Operation WOTD (waste of time dumbass)
Operation Ain’ Go Happen.
Operation Yeah, Right.
Operation Not In This Lifetime
Your ignorance is noted.
TBP4MC,
Didn’t mean it shouldn’t happen….but I doubt that it will.
The title should be Judicial and Legislative Corruption Rocks College of Charleston Race. Jean Toal is all over this thing. She is trying to bully her way into retaining her chief justice position just to take care of a few friends – like McConnell and Leatherman – and to attempt to keep Pleicones from exposing how bad she has been. She believes if she can hang on, beat Pleicones, then Hearn will protect her “legacy.” The pressure on the lowly legislators is stepping up daily to vote for Toal. In exchange, she is making calls to help McConnell. Get rid of all of them.
You are correct that Toal is “all over this thing.” Some in our building are charged with the duty to find out who is leaking information about Toal’s obsession with power, Hearn’s agreement with Toal, Beatty’s increasing insanity and Shearouse’s increasing sub-subservience to Toal.
Toal and Beatty are furious with WIS and that “little boy” Jody Barr. They are afraid he is going to find out some things about their “integrity” with the judicial disciplinary cases Barr reported about. Toal has the list of those who voted against Rosalyn Frierson and is trying to find out how to insure they will vote for her (Read how to blackmail them or give them a deal they can’t refuse.). McConnell and Leatherman have told her it is not going to be easy and she may lose. Toal is more careful to keep her door closed these days when her cell phone vibrates.
This is SC, so I guess it is too much to expect an esteemed academic or professional educational administrator be selected for the job?
This thread seems replete with folks who were formerly employed by the state and no longer grateful towards my hard earned tax dollars. Whenever you all return from Fantasia, please start a therapy group and discuss face to face why it is you couldn’t even manage to keep a Government job.
FA
P.S. Make sure to tell mike to remind Susan to take her Lithium, else I’ll continue putting it in the last Twinkie
LOL…..no the full court press is coming in the form of campaign loot juicing for SCOTT, GRAHAM and CLYBURN that directly impacts development from Charleston to Summerville. CSX and Norfolk-Southern and BMW and GE are not stupid. The Post and Courier developer “mafia” know how the ad cycle works and the dominos sitting on the CofC board are just leveraging their time to up the “pot” funds. Anita Zucker and Jennie Sanford know how to keeps their hands warm with steamed “chest-nutz”….! The Dubai ports jingle should be enough leverage for certain calls by Nancy Mace to understand how the “South Sudan” genocide could blow this whole thing wide open. The same financial playbook is being used…………(of course, certain sub-contractors are playing both sides)
This article seems like a bunch of foolishness.
Much ado about nothing. when something happens we will be the last to know.
Ya know……I really wonder if a CLASS Action lawsuit submitted on behalf of the workers at SPAWAR ATLANTIC filed against the Post and Courier’s Editor (..on the grounds of dereliction of editorial DUTY..) concerning the facts being reported and surrounding this fiasco would be enough to get Kelly Payne appointed to this position so she could have an excuse to get away from Eckstrom…? Poor Glenn has enough going on with the Hunley “smurfing”..! We wonder if we could get a jury to spend some time on a BRIDGE to Magnolia “Paradise” so that they could really have some quiet time to reflect upon “corruption’s” development cost to taxpayers. Heck, we wonder if the jurors would stop to consider how their PENSIONS should be invested to take advantage of the “knowledge” sitting on the Board of CofC..!?
I think getting McConnell out of Columbia is the ultimate goal. I care less where he ends up. The man is a horrorshow.
Your “well-placed source” needs to learn the difference between “infer” and “imply.”
The voter recall bill needs to be passed!!! The People want it!!!