SC

Sources: Catherine Templeton Won’t Take Ports Job

SOUTH CAROLINA’S PORTS AGENCY IS UNRAVELING … The hits just keep-a-comin’ for the S.C. State Ports Authority (SCSPA) … Just this week, the agency has been accused of dragging its feet on a long-overdue public-private project in Jasper County, overstating the benefits of a government-run dredging project in Charleston, effectively bribing the…

SOUTH CAROLINA’S PORTS AGENCY IS UNRAVELING …

The hits just keep-a-comin’ for the S.C. State Ports Authority (SCSPA) …

Just this week, the agency has been accused of dragging its feet on a long-overdue public-private project in Jasper County, overstating the benefits of a government-run dredging project in Charleston, effectively bribing the most powerful politician in the state and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to a shady neo-Confederate consultant.

Seriously … that’s just this week.

Oh, and lawmakers reading this barrage of negative headlines are now talking about launching an investigation of the agency.

The latest bad news to befall the agency?  It won’t have Catherine Templeton to help it navigate the mess.

Last month, the SCSPA announced Templeton was coming aboard as one of its top legal and political advisors.  This week, it sent out an email saying she was no longer taking the position.

“Catherine Templeton, Senior Vice President of Legal, External Affairs, and Human Resources, has decided to leave her position with the South Carolina Ports Authority with immediate effect,” the email from SCSPA president Jim Newsome stated.  “She has determined that this position does not meet her career goals.   I am grateful that Catherine had the willingness to join our organization and give us the benefit of her expertise in her brief time with us. She is an extremely talented and energetic executive who has a lot to offer any firm.”

Hmmm …

According to our sources at the agency, Templeton informed Newsome on Tuesday that she wasn’t taking the job – three weeks after she began digging into the port’s legal office.

What happened?

Templeton reportedly told board members the job wasn’t a “good fit” for her, but we’re told the decision was reached after she uncovered some of the agency’s shady dealings – and decided she wasn’t comfortable participating in any “pay-to-play” schemes.

The former director of the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC), Templeton left that post in January.  An adept manager and political messenger, she received rave reviews during her tenure at that agency.  In addition to saving tens of millions of tax dollars, she scored high marks for her handling of the Ebola threat – including showing up personally at one Charleston-area hospital pretending to be a patient with symptoms of the disease in an effort to gauge its response capability.

Shortly after leaving SCDHEC, Templeton turned down a “Republican” appointment to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in Washington, D.C.  Most recently she served in a part-time consulting role with the S.C. Department of Revenue (SCDOR).

Templeton’s name is frequently mentioned as a possible candidate for governor of South Carolina in 2018.

UPDATE: MSM confirming.

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37 comments

Halfvast Conspirator October 23, 2015 at 10:44 am

Wonder what else Leatherman wanted besides his name on the port facility

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shifty henry October 23, 2015 at 11:00 am

— gotcha!

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Squishy123 October 23, 2015 at 11:19 am

Depends

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Any Port in a Storm October 23, 2015 at 12:40 pm

Depends(TM)?

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shifty henry October 23, 2015 at 5:01 pm

—- had to turn around 3 times before I got that! (hah)

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jimlewisowb October 23, 2015 at 10:46 am

“…..she uncovered some of the agency’s shady dealings – and decided she wasn’t comfortable participating in any “pay-to-play” schemes….”

For real, this is what I am to believe coming from an individual who saw no need to come to work daily like all employees

Oh, I forgot about her dressing down to look like a commoner and checking out the hospital down in Charleston

Maybe you should pull your fucking head out of your fucking ass and nominate her for the Pulitzer

Fuckin’ Cockroach

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Pappy O'Daniel October 23, 2015 at 10:51 am

Take it easy on the founding editor and only employee.

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TroubleBaby October 23, 2015 at 10:57 am

“Templeton reportedly told board members the job wasn’t a “good fit” for her, but we’re told the decision was reached after she uncovered some of the agency’s shady dealings – and decided she wasn’t comfortable participating in any “pay-to-play” schemes.”

Someone should probably inform Ms. Templeton that if she doesn’t like “pay-to-play” schemes that the chances of her being gainfully employed in government are close to zero.

That same person should also rebuke her for attending the Nikki Haley school for Couch Fabric re-purposing.

She’s got a nice body, she shouldn’t be hiding it with drapes from the 70’s.

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Tazmaniac October 23, 2015 at 11:02 am

Hear Hear!!!!

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shifty henry October 23, 2015 at 11:03 am

” … the Nikki Haley school for Couch Fabric re-purposing.
She’s got a nice body, she shouldn’t be hiding it with drapes from the 70’s.”
10+ — but I’d like to know if this photo was taken before or after breakfast. Perhaps she jumped out of the bed on his side..?

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Centrist View October 23, 2015 at 12:44 pm

Repurposing fabric worked for Scarlett in Gone With the Wind.

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nitrat October 23, 2015 at 5:11 pm

Even better for Carol Burnett.

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Tazmaniac October 23, 2015 at 1:30 pm

And people call me a devil. You post a link with her sporting a PEARL NECKLACE?!

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TroubleBaby October 23, 2015 at 1:53 pm

Yes.

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shifty henry October 23, 2015 at 4:59 pm

Yes, and despite that semi-crazy look in her eyes, I’d go for it….

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nitrat October 23, 2015 at 5:11 pm

She’s an officer of the court.
Why isn’t she reporting pay to play, i.e., bribes, kickbacks to law enforcement?

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TroubleBaby October 23, 2015 at 6:26 pm

Probably because she wants a jobs in government and is hoping to to find one with plausible deniability when it comes to shenanigans.

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Herfuture October 24, 2015 at 1:18 pm

yes, she wants a job in government and she has a bright future in SC as an elected official… The voters elect fools and reelect fools, many with ethics violations such as Henry McMaster, Curtis Loftis, Bobby Harrell… She will be an expert with pay to play, bribes, kickbacks and violations of the ethics laws. No qualifications needed and no accountability present. Her future is bright!! at the expensive the tax payers!

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Squishy123 October 23, 2015 at 11:18 am

How many different agency head positions is this woman going to have during Haley’s tenure? Fuck, everytime I turn around she’s taking a new director position.

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Ken October 23, 2015 at 11:36 am

Except when the Director she works for runs her off. Have you noticed that first Rick Reames and now Jim Newsome have both fired her after 2 months of work? She’s obviously incompetent.

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Closemyeyes October 24, 2015 at 12:02 pm

Squishy123, the more , the better… titles to put next to her name to qualify her for elected office in SC. The voters will elect unqualified fools with fake and fleeting government positions to top offices. No qualification needed, just pay to play, good buddy, friend of friends, bribes and kickbacks, violations of the ethics laws.. Yeh… the ethics commission is a joke… So elected officials do as they please. The Post and Courier and the Center for Public Integrity exposed in the article Capitol Gains, that SC elected officials and candidates have what amounts to a personal ATM that dispensed nearly $100 million since 2009 for such things as car repairs, football tickets, male-enhancement pills, GoPro cameras, overseas junkets, gasoline….Many names mentioned Rick Quinn, Gilda Cobb-Hunter, Mike Pitts, Jim Merrill, Bobby Harrell, Alan Clemmons, David Hiott, Curtis Loftis, John Matthews and many more. Corruption, out one pocket, into another… “Candidates enrich themselves with campaign cash, gifts, travel- Post and Courrier 9/25/15.” There is an urgent need to reform the Ethics Commission … The fox is guarding the hen house…As the governor says: ” I got your back” and you got mine. .. Ethics Commission, catch me if you can…or if you want.

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Aslap October 24, 2015 at 12:49 pm

There must be a reform of the Ethics Commission… Violations of the ethics laws are treated with a slap on the wrist. Many violations linger and are not paid. The violators refuse to pay the fines… and since there is no police brigade, the fines remained unpaid and the violators laugh on. The Ethics commission found probable cause in the recent ethics violation against Curtis Loftis but agreed to a consent order, instead of a trial, since Loftis was too scared to stand trial. What will be the penalty? The violation is serious: Loftis hired friend with whom he is associated. Friend made million . Loftis should be made to pay back the money obtained against the law, and or jail time. The penalty will be a slap on the wrist… A shame …Corruption at its best… Reform the Ethics Commission NOW.

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Bible Thumper October 23, 2015 at 11:32 am

I think they ought to sell the naming rights to the port. Perhaps the “Jack in the Box Port Facility”. A big statue of the round styrofoam headed guy would be great.

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Mr. Helper October 23, 2015 at 6:27 pm

It should be a tribute to Haley by just tweaking your suggestion:

“Jack in my Box Port Facility”

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TARevolution October 23, 2015 at 11:32 am

I wish Haley would just hire Boz and FITS…and let them rule the state. Thirty minutes tops…they’d have all the corruption (that only they see) cleaned up…and we’d be smart, clean and rich in a week…

Right?….LMAO…

PS: Wasn’t Fits elected ruler in 2002?….Why did nothing change, except to get worse under his dominion?

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SC A State of Mediocrity October 23, 2015 at 12:16 pm

It’s too bad. She is one of very few tough enough to take on an entrenched dysfunctional agency. i had hoped that was her purpose there.

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ELCID October 23, 2015 at 4:31 pm

Sorry Cathy Templeton had no qualifications for all the jobs Haley has given her.
Her only qualifications were being Haley’s good buddy.
And, 3 months serving as a consultant to the SC Dept. of Revenue.

She was in on Haley’s sell out to Savannah Ports.
She over saw the DHEC Board Destruction by Haley.

Also, she never showed up for work. Instead, staying in her home on Sullivan’s Island.
Something, every State employee would have been quickly fired for doing.

Just another Haley Failure.

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Soft Sigh from Hell October 23, 2015 at 5:00 pm

“She was in on Haley’s sell out to Savannah Ports.
She over saw the DHEC Board Destruction by Haley.”

I thought both of those were before her time at DHEC.

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ELCID October 23, 2015 at 5:04 pm

She was part of the plan.
After Haley took the bribes from Savannah Ports, she put this worthless no experience clown in charge as Haley’s personal puppet.

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nitrat October 23, 2015 at 5:06 pm

3 jobs since January 2011.
People used to consider that an unstable job history.

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Bringthepopcorn October 24, 2015 at 10:31 am

Hell, nitrat.. an unstable job history qualifies you for elected office in SC… It qualifies her to be governor.. Indeed. Loftis was fired or walked away from 2 $100,000 state jobs less than six months on the job. He was paid less than $30 thousand by Eckstrom, comptroller general, to be the director of transparency, which indicates he was on the payroll for about four months. So much for his contribution to transparencies issues! He was fired by Andre Bauer from the Office of Aging, and left it in a shambles. Guess what? He is state treasurer… Yes, she qualifies to be governor and should campaign with Loftis… Should be interesting as he hates women, black men, journalists, staff and former staff, veterans,gay men,( gay himself?) senators, legislators… A disgusting nut case.. Bring the popcorn… Election time in SC…

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Jeb's A Sinking Ship October 23, 2015 at 5:38 pm

Jeb’s campaign can’t be too demanding on her can it? Given that it’s disappearing.

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dwb619 October 23, 2015 at 8:51 pm

Well just DAMN!
I was so eager to see her “talk smack” to the Longshoreman’s Union!

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Sam October 24, 2015 at 9:43 am

She is an incompetent ass.

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Roger October 24, 2015 at 1:11 pm

I guess Nikki could not deliver on the promices.

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Downed Dams October 24, 2015 at 4:43 pm

Send her back to DHEC. There are still plenty of incompetents who need booting there. Who has been managing the dam “safety” program? Managing, not staffing. Don’t shoot the privates and sergeants, but a good purge of the captains and colonels and majors would help clean the now-muddy slate. Calling “Chainsaw” Catherine!

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