Political Hack Goes Colorblind

Adam Fogle over at the Palmetto Scoop wants you to believe that our website does the bidding of S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford.

This ignores a significant body of work in which we rip the governor a new one (and actually compliment Fogle’s group on its work), but whatever.

We’re not worried. The more he says it, the more he looks like a complete and total idiot.

Also making Fogle look like a complete and total idiot?

His complete inability to discern one color from the other – like the colors on an organizational chart showing the assignments of various law enforcement officers and support staff of S.C. Bureau of Protective Services, the agency that is currently in charge of providing security at the S.C. State House.

Specifically, this chart:

Apparently, Fogle only got the “black and white” version of things, which isn’t surprising. After all, people who enjoy getting drunk and waving confederate flags often view things in black and white.

Anyway, since Fogle basically called us liars yesterday, we figured we’d contact BPS directly to get the truth about where its resources are allocated.

Which we did.

If you look at the organizational chart referenced by the Scoop, you will see that it is color coded with a legend in the lower right hand corner.

That legend, obviously, provides staff breakdowns of the different positions and assignments, with the names in blue noted as “Headquarters/Support” positions.

Of the eleven uniformed officers listed in this category, only six of them are actually located at the Blythewood Headquarters: Chief Wise, Captains Curtis and Hancock, Sergeant Coombs, Cpl. Brunson, and Lance/Cpl. Bradley.

Until recently, Coombs and Bradley were at the State House Division, but these two officers received promotions. As part of the agency’s rotations, though, Bradley still mans a post at the State House when additional manpower is needed.

Lt. Skipper is assigned as part of the headquarters staff, but he is actually located in the State House.

The remaining four officers noted in blue are all stationed at the State House, although Cpl. Schmidt provides K-9 support to all of the BPS Divisions.

The organizational also chart referenced by the Scoop further notes five administrative positions, two of which are at the State House.

As referenced in our story yesterday, the Hunley security positions (remember, BPS was tasked by Sen. Glenn McConnell with guarding his beloved Confederate submarine) are noted as contract positions, and are both stationed out of Charleston.

BPS confirmed today that two officers are guarding the Hunley. In fact, they’re guarding it as we speak.

That means only nine of the law enforcement officers referenced on the chart are actually posted at Blythewood – or seven fewer officers than the Scoop claims.

This means the Scoop either did not have the color-coded version of this chart or its editor is intentionally misleading his readers – which let’s face it, wouldn’t be a first.

“On the ‘administrative’ side, one (officer) guards the Hunley, two are tasked with watching the gate at the Blythewood office, and the other eight are purely administrators,” the Scoop report says.

Aside from being wrong on the head count, the Scoop clearly has no conception of these officers’ responsibilities.

Two of these “pure administrators” are responsible for field operations and two are responsible for officer training. Then there is Chief Wise, the guy who runs the agency.

The Scoop also claims that “on the ’support’ side, one person is paid to guard an elevator and communicate with personnel at the Statehouse. The other four are administrative positions.”

Wrong again.

The employee “paid to guard an elevator” is Jennifer Aycock, who not only provides administrative support to all the State House complex staff but also serves as dispatch operator for the forty-four uniformed officers who provide security for the State House, the Capital Complex, and the Governor’s Mansion, as well as the perimeter security around the State House and other state facilities, such as 2122 Devine Street and the Farmer’s Market.

That’s a little more than “guarding an elevator,” if you ask us.

On a personal note, we know Aycock very well. Like all BPS officers, she’s a dedicated employee, a mother of three and she frankly doesn’t deserve to have her service belittled by a common political hack like Fogle.

None of these officers do.

Of course like all of the Scoop’s attacks, this one is politically-motivated.

Sen. Glenn McConnell – whose political consultant Richard Quinn pays the Scoop editor’s salary – wants to replace BPS at the State House.

In fact, McConnell has plenty of votes in the legislature to pull off this coup and establish his Kapitolpolizeitruppe.

That’s why the Scoop’s attack on these law enforcement officers is so unnecessary – and sad.

These officers have done a remarkable job providing security to state lawmakers, state employees and State House guests over the years. They are professional, polite and put up with all sorts of crap from the superior sons of bitches that make up our General Assembly.

Now, because of Sen. McConnell’s grudge against the governor, they’re being subjected to false accusations and ridicule.

That’s a shame.

These officers deserve better that cheap political hacks like Fogle lying about their organization and impugning their service.

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