FITSNews Exclusive – Chellis Linked To Sexual Harrassment, Fraud Allegations
SENSITIVE INFORMATION ON PRESUMED TREASURER LEAKED USING DECEPTIVE E-MAILS
FITSNews – August 1, 2007 – In a bizarre case of blog espionage, State Representative and would-be S.C. Treasurer Converse Chellis finds himself in the middle of a political firestorm this afternoon. According to multiple sources, e-mails detailing Chellis’ involvement in a complex sexual harrassment and fraud case several years ago were leaked to bloggers and members of the media earlier this week using the e-mail “palmettoscoop@gmail.com.” The obvious implication of these e-mails was that the popular local website Palmetto Scoop was responsible for the leak, a charge the blog vehemently denies.
“We had a brief period recently where our e-mail wasn’t functioning and we switched over to a G-Mail account,” the Palmetto Scoop’s editors told FITSNews earlier this afternoon. “However, the address we used during that two-week period was THEpalmettoscoop@gmail.com. Whoever did this, it was a deliberate set-up to make our website look like the origin of the leak.”
FITSNews is endeavoring to obtain copies of these e-mails, but the gist of the charges is that a sexual harrassment and fraud lawsuit was filed against the Dorchester Representative several years ago stemming from an accounting partnership involving Chellis, another man, and a woman. While the case was settled out of court for an unspecified sum of money (the terms of the settlement remain undisclosed), Chellis was nonetheless accused by the woman in the partnership of making improper sexual advances as well as illegally converting partnership funds for his own personal use.
The allegations – especially those alleging fiscal mismanagement – are nothing short of a political bombshell, coming just 48 hours before the General Assembly is scheduled to vote on a successor to Thomas Ravenel, who resigned as State Treasurer last week after being indicted in late June on federal drug charges. With over 100 legislative supporters, Chellis was widely expected to cruise to victory in Friday’s election.
Of course, just as sensational as the Chellis’ lawsuit revelation is the cloak-and-dagger manner in which it was leaked, with the sender not only deliberately concealing their identity but also appearing to engage in a calculated effort to tie another blog to the release of the information.
UPDATED – While we have been unable to track down the elusive e-mails (or more importantly, the authors) responsible for leaking this information, we have been able to uncover the following information concerning this case: The lawsuit was filed by plaintiff Martha H. Bryan on January 6, 2000 in the Court of Common Pleas for Charleston County. The case number for the lawsuit is 00-CP-10-0053.
Comments
By The Palmetto Scoop on August 1st, 2007 at 12:44 pm
If we weren’t backing Earl Capps for treasurer, Converse Chellis would be our guy.
By Believe It Not on August 1st, 2007 at 2:01 pm
There goes Will again. Pandering rumors. Remember the Midlands’ elected official Will claimed had a Strom Problem? Bogus.
Remember the rumor he pandered about the governor paying off on the death of a little “black girl”? Heard anymore? No, you won’t.
So, now “the sky is falling” on a candidate Will does not approve of, and suddenly Will has an “exclusive” from anonymous emails?
Wow! A case number. Settled out of court with undisclosed details.
That’s enough for us. Tar and feather him. Run him out of town on a rail! Will Folks that is. Not Chellis. What a rumor monger!
This sounds like a stunt Will Folks or Trey Walker would create:
http://www.democrats.org/a/2007/01/mccain_hires_an.php
Maybe it was just another “…harmless practical joke.”
By FITSNews on August 1st, 2007 at 2:22 pm
B-I-N,
We really missed you while we were on vacation. Good to know you’re still here! And your panties are still in a wad!
Look, we make no representation as to the veracity of the lawsuit, only to say it was filed and Rep. Chellis decided to settle it out of court. And while you were probably fast asleep dreaming of Sic Willie the day they taught this at Mongoloid School, those happen to be facts, not rumors.
Truthfully, we’re more interested in finding out who leaked it than anything else … of course your next post will probably blame that on us, too, right?
-FITSNews
By shaggy on August 1st, 2007 at 3:03 pm
Damn…I am always as down on Willie as the next guy but this bone has apparently got some meat on it. If you are not a columbia insider, you wouldn’t know this but converse chellis spends a lot of time at the Townhouse trying to lay some shag on the carpet at night. These allegations do not surprise me at all. Bring on Tim Scott, the brother needs a chance!
http://www3.charlestoncounty.org/surfer/form/emulator/9_dPe1571426007_1571479569
http://www3.charlestoncounty.org/surfer/form/emulator/9_dPe1571426007_1571479569
http://www3.charlestoncounty.org/surfer/form/emulator/9_dPe1571426007_1571479569
that makes three lawsuits. In today’s legislative world Converse Chellis would be a member of the old fat and ugly caucus and if you remember what happened to them, they all went to prison. We at mysteries inc. make no accusations, just observations. Give ‘em hell Will.
By sleuth on August 1st, 2007 at 3:47 pm
I’ve just read the complaint. A woman (Martha H. Bryan) CPA and former business partner of Chellis, filed a lawsuit against him alleging that she dissolved their business relationship because of (among other things) “Chellis’s conduct toward female employees” and also alleging that he “fradulently appropriated funds from CBA [the dissolved partnership] for his personal use in violation of S. C. Code Ann. 33-44-406 and 409 and in violation of an agreement reached between counsel for Bryan and CBA.” The complaint goes on to allege that Chellis was “wrongful and fraudulent” and seeks actual and punitive damages. There is a form order in the court file indicating that the suit was subsequently settled and the complaint was dismissed.
By Believe It Not on August 1st, 2007 at 4:02 pm
“Cloak and dagger” doesn’t sound like Will. Too sophisticated. His style is more “skulk and sputum.”
As we said, this smells like a sic(k) willie stunt.
Riddle us this – remember that Will has studied at the feet of the master who studied at the feet of the master. Worked for him too.
“Settled out of court” sure didn’t seem to imply any wrong doing by an elected State office holder a couple of years ago when a female State employee ended up with $57K of taxpayer money in an out of court settlement. And, she got her employment record cleared of a bad evaluation. And that office holder got elected again.
So, why is this such big news? Unless there is something showing wrong doing – there is nothing here but smoke and sputum.
By sic haters on August 1st, 2007 at 4:26 pm
yeah yeah yeah we need to flush this turd sic willie
By Believe It Not on August 1st, 2007 at 4:34 pm
By the way, you got the case number and details so quickly! Was the source another “anonymous” email? Or, was it Tinkerbell this time?
http://www.tinkerbell.no/tinkerbell/tinkerbell%20graphics.gif
Here’s another thing that goes to character. Will wrote: “Mongoloid School.” Exactly what does that mean?
Is it a reference to people with Downs Syndrome or a reference to a school for people from East Asia? Was it an insult? Either way, it’s just more sputum. Get more rest will. You sure need it.
By Yahoo on August 1st, 2007 at 7:26 pm
Ok…so the Governor has his thugs dig up “dirt” on Chellis.
Then the Governor grandstands and endorses a token black candidate for the job.
Then he has the “dirt” leaked just before the election, as if it will make any difference in the race…because the race is not about Chellis…it is about the legislature vs. Sanford, and whether it is Chellis or not…it WILL be an anti-Sanford guy.
So the point is…Sanford spins it all to make himself look like the working man’s hero, but in reality he is only pissing off the few supporters he had left in the General Assembly.
Irrelevant does not begin to describe Governor Mark Sanford.
By Frankie Jay on August 1st, 2007 at 10:14 pm
Exactly what does this salacious picture have to do with the story? While the information is timely and informative I missed the part where Chellis was accused of sexually harassing a woman in a short dress and animal print high heels. A picture of the man in question would have been more appropriate, and the picture you posted distracts the reader from the true gist of your story.
By Anonymous on August 1st, 2007 at 11:50 pm
“Mongoloid Scholl”?!! William, that sort of language is cruel, insensitive and just plain outdated! If you absolutely must respond to BIN, could you take the high road…or least a road not quite as low? I know for a fact your mama raised you better than this!
By freesc2007 on August 2nd, 2007 at 2:06 am
Hey,
At least this happened (if it indeed did happen) on his own clock and not the people’s clock. When Richard Eckstrom was treasurer, the state of SC had to settle a sexual harrassment charge against him.
Now he is on his second term as comptroller general. He took his family to Minnesotta using the state van. However, no ethics violation were found.
Perhaps the treasurer’s office has some kind of chicken curse – Maybe Mr. Patterson should just get the seat back.
By yes on August 2nd, 2007 at 7:59 am
The file is a public record so you can get the allegations against him. What’s harder to get is the truth, but Will’s “truth threshold” is barely above the ground. And Shaggy, I think you might have missed the boat on lawsuit counting/link posting.
By Oran P. Smith on August 2nd, 2007 at 12:37 pm
These accusations aside, we should think hard about the future of two truly outstanding South Carolinians who happen to be African-American,TIM SCOTT and HENRY WHITE.
Unfortunately, TIM SCOTT won’t be elected Treasurer. If a Screening Commission were to be established, as Spartanburg businessman Lee Bright suggested to me today, maybe Mr. Scott would have gotten up to the plate. But it is not to be. Still, as everyone in Charleston knows, South Carolina needs Tim Scott in a prominent role statewide. (Tim has served ably in public office for over a decade, most recently as Chairman of Charleston County Council, and is one of the founders of Palmetto Family Council.)
HENRY WHITE could also be facing a future of being underutilized. Will legislative members and Chellis sack White from his position as Executive Director of the state Budget & Control Board? That would also be a loss to the state.
By VN on August 2nd, 2007 at 2:44 pm
Sanford leaked speeding by the LT Governor thats his way of getting back to people who dont do what he wants. 90% of SC voters dont know what a joke we have . Thank god he cant run for anouter term because he would get reelected
By Sunshine on August 2nd, 2007 at 3:31 pm
Will, thats your kind of politician, or are you just making this up juistify supporting him, in your on mind of course?
By HP on February 24th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
Martha Bryan’s accusations ring every bit true to me. The fact that the Legislature rammed his nomination down our throats without thoroughly looking into her lawsuit is par for the course. This should have been a red flag.
He was Chairman of the South Carolina State Board of Accountancy the year I sat for the CPA exam. There was a strategically placed little smurf man, sitting across from me giving me the e-y-e every time I glanced over at him. He was obviously not there to take the test. Wonder who was paying him and why? I took these concerns to the SC Department of LLR, only to get the run around.
Martha’s allegations are likely true, but they didn’t stop the wheels from turning for even one minute.
Chellis needs to G-O.
By HP on February 24th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Oops. Off by one year. Old people deal mostly in decades.
I got smurfed in 1994. I bet his legacy was still stinking around though.
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