Another FITS-Exposed Scam Goes Mainstream January 16, 2008
Posted by fitsnews in : SC Politics , trackback
PAYDAY LENDING SHAKEDOWN HITS THE PAGES OF LA SOCIALISTA
FITSNews - January 16, 2008 - It took ‘em nearly two months, but the anti-payday lending lobby finally published something today about the blatant legislative shakedown thirteen lawyer-legislators are attempting to pull on that particular industry. In an op-ed published in today La Socialista, here’s what S.C. Association of Taxpayers’ president Don Weaver had to say about the jury-shopping, pocket-padding scam we exposed last November:
One recent controversy involving our Legislature and our judicial system is troubling, and raises serious questions about whether South Carolina’s judicial system has been compromised. How this impending issue plays out will have long-term implications for S.C. taxpayers and businesses across our state, if this latest trial lawyer courtroom strategy is successful.
The issue I’m referring to is the 13 lawyer-legislators who are representing clients in a class-action lawsuit against the payday lending industry in South Carolina, despite the fact that legislation restricting this industry will be a hot topic in this new session of the General Assembly. This number of lawyer-legislators lining up against an industry they themselves regulate is unprecedented, and raises a number of disturbing questions. After all, who elects the judges who will hear these cases? You guessed it — legislators, including those same lawyer-legislators who stand to make a lot of money suing the payday lending industry.
Ever since we broke this story, we’ve been waiting patiently for someone to join us in calling out State Senators Vincent Sheheen, John Hawkins, Brad Hutto, Luke Rankin, David Thomas and Representatives Creighton Coleman, Jim Harrison, Christopher Hart, Doug Jennings, Todd Rutherford, Fletcher Smith, Murrell Smith and David Weeks.
These elected officials have no business suing an industry that they regulate - let alone in front of judges they appoint and jurors they’re trying to improperly influence. We hear payday lending reform is coming up for debate in another couple weeks, and you better damn believe we’ll be watching this issue (and this particular “gang of thirteen”) like hawks. Big, mean, powerful and incredibly sexy hawks, baby.
Comments»
Hell yeah!
You keep an eye on how this goes down Sic Willie. Soon I just might want to run for a seat on this legislature.
Then you and me can cook us up some of these kind of deals- you being an insider with experience and all.
This is a sure fire winner - I do not see how they can lose !!
It is dam brilliant - is what it is.
Don Weaver = Wacky
Another case of sic(k) willie “breaking wind.” What a “williescam.”
This is supposed to be news? Readers need to understand that sic(k) willie eats 4 cans of pork-and-beans every Saturday night so he can fart in church on Sunday morning - just for the attention.
Then, like a 5 year old, he points his finger at someone else.
S.C. Legislators with a conflict of interest have been the norm since over 200 years before Ben Tillman sharpened his first pitchfork.
God Bless Ya Ben, where ever you are!
And sic(k) willie claims to “break” the news. He breaks wind.
Don’t blame the State…they have had their crack investigative reporter John Monk working on the Ben Tillman story. Did you not hear he broke the story that Tillman was a racist?
So it is now official, they have cleared their books of the 1800’s….and now they can turn their attention to the 1900’s. Just think, in another 30 years we will start hearing about the state government fraud, waste and abuse of THIS century.
Yeah, I’d be a little more impressed if The State had printed this story in 1908, rather than 2008.
But you got to give that John Monk credit, not much gets by him. Next thing you know, he’s going to break the news about a certain militaristic nation in Asia pondering a sneak attack on an as-yet unnamed American military base in the south Pacific. Yeah, I don’t believe it either, but he swears he’s onto something.
You watch,,,,they will keep voting, conclict or not. This will happen again to another industry….sexy hawks or not. The arrogance that these 13, and others, have exhibited is shameful.