Sources: McMaster A Member At Whites Only Club
Could the same exclusive, Columbia, S.C. Country Club play a role in the race for both Republican National Committee chairman and Governor of South Carolina?
It’s looking increasingly like that could be the case.
Sources tell FITS that S.C. Attorney General and presumptive gubernatorial candidate Henry McMaster is a member at the same 80-year-old “whites-only” Country Club that made nationwide news earlier this year when it was revealed that Katon Dawson – currently a candidate for chairman of the Republican National Committee – had been one of its members.
The Forest Lake Country Club refuses to release a list of its exclusive membership, but several current members who spoke with FITS confirmed McMaster’s status as a longtime member of the club.
“Henry has been a member here for decades,” said one club member who spoke with us on condition of anonymity.
As for Dawson, he resigned his membership at the club in September, shortly before announcing his candidacy to lead the national GOP.
In a letter sent to the club a month before news of his membership became public, Dawson urged its leadership to change their policy of refusing to admit blacks, which is nowhere in its by-laws but appears in a deed to the property on which the club sits.
“Our by-laws do not say no negroes,” said one of the club members we spoke with. “The deed on the property says no negroes.”
Blacks are allowed to visit the club as guests, however. In fact, it appears that a round of golf he played with several African-Americans is forming the nexus of Dawson’s defense as he continues his campaign for RNC chairman.
Two decades ago, Forest Lake Country Club attracted national attention after refusing to issue a complimentary membership to Robert Solomon, then the commanding office at Fort Jackson, on the basis of Solomon’s Jewish faith.
Since then, the club has allowed Jewish members to join.
Neither McMaster’s office nor Forest Lake Country Club returned calls seeking comment, although McMaster has reportedly been telling Palmetto political insiders that he is “in the clear” on the issue because he received “Justice Department clearance” twenty-seven years ago during a background check after being nominated by President Ronald Reagan as U.S Attorney for South Carolina.
What that background check has to do with his membership at the club is unclear, since being a member of a private organization that refuses to admit African-American members is, to our knowledge, not illegal.
WEB EXTRAS:
For a look inside Forest Lake Country Club, click here.
For McMaster’s official bio, click here.
Comments
By Caddyshack on December 23rd, 2008 at 6:36 pm
By reading the headline, I thought you were referring to McMaster calling himself a Republican. After all, wouldn’t you refer to the SCGOP as being a white’s only club, that just allows people like Glen McCall and Tim Scott appear as guest every once in a while?
Also, it’s time we quit beating this dead horse, also known as the Forest Lake Club. Some very prominant Democrats and Republicans are members at FLC, and I bet none of them joined for the reason that it has an all-white membership. If this was 1968, this would be a big deal. But this is 2008, Barack Obama is our President-elect, and trying to stir up shit on McMaster just because he belongs to a private club in Columbia is ludicrous. Let’s talk issues, and let’s quit playing racial politics.
By You can judge a man by his country club on December 23rd, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Obviously, ol’ Henry “Whitie” McMaster still knows who the real master is. Surely the rich white men must allow the negroes to bring them their mint juleps and shine their shoes . It is refreshing to see “Whitie” McMaster live and breathe and demand equal justice for all.
By Ya Ya Sisters on December 23rd, 2008 at 10:00 pm
He hasn’t been demanding a damn thing but publicity. Johnny-do-good publicity.
By John Vierdsen on December 23rd, 2008 at 10:22 pm
It is an elite country club. There are a lot of high profile people in Columbia that are members of the club. If these sources are so great, they should be able to provide you with one of the membership directories (published once every four years, or so John has heard). That would be very interesting.
By James the Foot Soldier on December 24th, 2008 at 1:18 am
Where was Henry when the 2009 “budget” was passed last summer – the highest form of unconstitutional lawmaking I’ve seen in 20 years?
Apparently hiding behind the fences playing golf.
By lou on December 24th, 2008 at 10:36 am
Discrimination is alive and well in South Carolina specifically Columbia. It isn’t just a black white deal either. If you are not a rich white man who gives money to the GOP, you are dirt, not worthy of the ” good ole boys” club.
However, please understand the Good Ole Boys are under quite a lot of fire right now because they act evil. They have misplaced intentions. They practice ” hate crimes” on a daily basis and couldn’t really care less if the other citizens of this state even survive.
Rah Rah to the GOP for making themselves ____________.
By Reader on December 24th, 2008 at 10:59 am
Finish it Lou! Our imaginations are shot!
By right said fred on December 24th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Wendel Estep, pastor at First Baptist is a member. Kit Smith Democrat on Richland County Council and her husband Joel Smith the dean of USC business school are members. Larry wilson, columbia ceo and philanthropist is a member. And so on….
Hardly racists.
By NunYa on December 24th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Don’t try to change the subject, RSF.
By James the Foot Soldier on December 24th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Did Jesus confine his ministry to the Jews?
By Cut-&-Paster's-R-Us on December 27th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
12/27/08 – My clock says 10:45 A.M. [I don't know what's wrong Sic's]
Before you read the liberal media’s reports which will probably try to spin the news and primarily blame Israel, read:
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/508836.aspx
……………………………
For inquiring minds — What is a dreidel?
http://scheinerman.net/judaism/chanukah/dreidel.html
By Cut-&-Paster-Is-Me on December 27th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
I am not a rabid right wing evangelical, a Mongoloid, or in any way associated with BIN. This is the only recent post that referenced anti-Semitism (see above, 10th nugget).
P.S. McMaster may need a new moniker: McSlave — but whose is he?
:)
By forced to contribute on December 28th, 2008 at 12:43 am
McMaster as governor would be asking for ten times the trouble we got from having Ravenel as treasurer. Please make sure we all think before we nominate or elect a blowhard SC joke for the nation to judge us by, again. Don’t we have any good people out there willing to lead? Oh, I forgot, they don’t have the right connections/memberships and aren’t willing to sell their souls to the devil for their own personal gain. So sad, so sick…..
By Harriett Moore on December 29th, 2008 at 1:30 am
Get a life, Bill! Of all the crucial issues of the day, membership in a golf club seems somewhat incidental. If you are looking for issues to argue with McMaster, choose substanance.
By Harriett Moore on December 29th, 2008 at 1:32 am
Substance rather than substanance
By White Shoes on August 14th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Back in 2000 I was invited to Mr. McMaster’s house after serving as a page for SC’s GOP convention. McMaster had just been reelected Chairman and he gathered all of the party’s big wigs to celebrate. At the time I was only 15 years old but, drunkenly Henry slipped up and said the “N” word not once but, twice that night… each time I was absolutely shocked and couldn’t believe that an educated man in power still had such archaic thoughts let alone an idiot’s vocabulary. But after the 2nd time my father wasn’t going to wait for a third- we promptly left.
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