Bauer Fundraiser Held On Power Lawyer’s Yacht
Sources tell FITS that S.C. Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer held a big-dollar fund-raiser in Charleston, S.C. this weekend aboard the Themis, the mega-yacht owned by powerful Lowcountry attorney Ron Motley.
We haven’t been able to obtain a host list yet or estimate how much cashola was raised at the event, but Bauer’s floating fund-raiser was held concurrently with S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster’s big trial lawyer fundraiser on Hilton Head Island.
That’s funny … with such a premium on job creation these days, you’d think the top two “Republican” gubernatorial candidates would want to be seen hanging out with a more business-friendly crowd.
Anyway, both Bauer (a.k.a. Tweedle Dumb) and McMaster (a.k.a. Tweedle Dumbest) have been scrambling to raise cash after U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett (a.k.a. Tweedle Dumber) jumped ahead of them in the money race last month.
Comments
By cruise on August 9th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
The password for admittance was FIDELIO.
By A Yatchtsman on August 9th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
This is not the first time Andre Bauer has used this yacht.
Yachts of that nature charter for $75,000 to $125,000 per week, or more. Andre Bauer claims he gets it for half a day for $3500.00, which is the maximum allowable amount for a contribution.
So, the range for this yacht is between $5,351.00 to $10,714.00 for the half day, even though one cannot usually charter a yacht like this for half day, and certainly the rate would be higher than the simple prorating I have done. But one should get the point.
Clearly, this is an illegal contribution to a high elected official by a powerful trial lawyer. It is remarkable that these men feel no reason to hide such outrageous behavior.
By YadaYada on August 9th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
Hey Yacht man…, u are dead on. What about the NASCAR driving experience SCAM he has been running for years. The driving school fund raising events that the lt. Governor claims that he can rent the Charlotte Speedway, instructors, vans, racecars, staff, etc for 6 hours and it cost less than $3500. I do not anything about the sport of racing but I do no business and I am suspicious of this claim.
I am sure Jakie Knotts and Company will call for an investigation. Haha.
PS. nice boat.
By Weighing In on August 9th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
A Yachtsman,
I would agree with you if the boat were moving. My understanding in this case is that the boat was tied to the dock (city marina) where it usually is kept when not being used elsewhere. $3500 is probably a fair price to pay for a 2 hour use of the facility itself.
By No Matter on August 9th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
Bauer & Haley are the front runners unnoticed that will continued to be ignored… Hope McMaster and Barrett raise twice as much as they already have banked as they will need that and more…
By A Yachtsman on August 9th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
Set up and take down, plus planning….at least half a day. Moving or not, there is simply no way that it worth less than $3500. And you can’t rent a boat like that for half a day. Those that you can are head boats or pure charters…dreary things designed as floating bars or restaurants.
But nothing to worry about. This is SC and unless one is caught in a scandal (like the Sanford affair)that benefits another politician, nothing will happen. Lawlessness is the order of the day when it comes to the SCGOP and their politicians.
By A Yachtsman on August 9th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
PS…Further research shows a boat of this class is a min of $150,000 per week…up to $245,000.
http://www.charterworld.com/index.html?sub=yacht-results&builder=trinity-26&page=2
By BIN News Editorial Staff on August 10th, 2009 at 12:21 am
sic(k) willie. Can we agree on one point? :)
The only fraud in S.C. bigger than SanFraud is BauerFraud!
The last thing S.C. needs is another Fraud’u'lent’Gub’ner.
BIN News Editorial Staff
Flair and Balanced
By Almost time! on August 10th, 2009 at 5:57 am
From what i understand there are two close employees in Bauer”s Camp that are spilling all the goods on Bauer and have been for the last month or so. this should be interesting.
Details are coming!
By Maria BeLen Chapur on August 10th, 2009 at 8:16 am
*** C STREET NAMES ***** REMEMBER THESE PEOPLE ya’ll.
The MONEY PEOPLE are destroying our state. C STREET ALERT
C STREET ALERT
HELP STOP CRIME
STOP CULT WORSHIP
By Maria BeLen Chapur on August 10th, 2009 at 8:18 am
FIDELO FIDELITY
By Maria BeLen Chapur on August 10th, 2009 at 8:22 am
Let’s do INFIDEL
that’s what AL QUEDA uses to describe us
that’s the word Mark used in the press conference and I promise you one thing…. LIZ SHEPHERD ONLY GOT SCREWED BY MARK SANFORD> THERE WAS NO SEX OK>>>> HE COULDN”T HANDLE THAT> HE”D GET LYME DISEASE
so go ask him
Yes he was unfaithful…. but it’s not exactly as he said.
He lied.
By Wiley on August 10th, 2009 at 9:04 am
It is dumb stuff like this that keeps Sanford in office. Andre is a great insurance policy for the Governor.
By Jeffy on August 10th, 2009 at 9:17 am
Liz has changed her name
By CNSYD on August 10th, 2009 at 9:24 am
A yacht bought with the proceeds from lung cancer victims.
By Matt on August 10th, 2009 at 9:37 am
Ron Motley along with his partner Joe Rice are the kings of plaintiff’s trial lawyers in SC (Montley Rice firm in Charleston). It has been said that Joe Rice is the richest man in the state, and Ron Motley can’t be that far behind. These guys are the ultimate John Edwards types in SC.
By Tim on August 10th, 2009 at 10:49 am
I suspect that Motely does not personally own the boat. Probably some holding company or law practice or corporation. Possible even an out of country entity. Would be interesting to know who actually holds title. That in itself may be a legal problem. I am sure that Jake Knotts, David Thomas and the SC Ethics Commission are hot on the trail!
By Birdman on August 10th, 2009 at 10:51 am
I’m confused, again, is it a bad thing to have a freind with a big boat? Big Boat BAD, Little Boat GOOD! I believe I have it now, thanks
By weighing in on August 10th, 2009 at 11:44 am
To Matt,
I know both Rice and Motley, and although very wealthy, richest man in the state is a stretch. You need to look at the Millikens, Close, Ravenel’s, and many others as people in the top of SC.
And to A-Yachtsman,
I again agree with your assesment if it were moving. That 245k is a travelling boat burning 30 gallons of fuel an hour. The boat is not cranked on the dock, it is hooked to shore power, and I have been inside this boat and there is not much set up, break down…it’s all there. So if Bauer paid for the caterer and bartenders, i stand by my comment that 3500 is a fair price.
By A Yachtsman on August 10th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
To Weighing in on…
You obviously have no idea how these things work. Yacht charters are a huge and well defined business. These yachts are multimillion dollar investments that are not rented for peanuts, no matter what the conditions.
If I were you, I would stick to conversations concerning bass boats and the like.
By sunnyvaleboy on August 10th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Weighing in A Yachtsman
This could come down to who has the biggest dinghy.
By SicShouldRun on August 10th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Sic Willie should put his money where his mouth is and run for elected office…
By utah on August 10th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
$210,000/week divided by 168 hours (the number of hours in a week) = $1250/hour. That is the hourly price for a boat that is actually traveling and not docked. Based on that, I’d guess the $3500 for several hours on a non-moving yacht is a fair price since there is no cost for gas, etc. At the least, there is a very good argument that the price is fair.
By Yachtsman on August 10th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
No where can you find a yacht of that quality for rent by the hour, or even half day. But if you could, $7500 per hour would not touch it.
If it was for rent by the hour, surely you don’t suppose there would be no charge for preparation, and close down and cleanup…and that a party for 150 can be done, completely, in 3 hours…especially since the party itself lasted for more than 4 hours.
BTW, I heard today from an excellent source that the boat’s owner donated much of the food and booze. All of that cost would be on top of the cost of the boat itself.
But as I mentioned earlier, no one is after Mr. Bauer’s job, so he need not worry. He is “safe”. The ethics commission will continue sleeping and depositing their paychecks without any additional labor on their part.
By weighing in on August 11th, 2009 at 11:50 am
A yachtsman,
FMV is whatever the owner chooses to rent at as long as it is reasonable. I believe Utah made that point for me.
Get rid of your hard on “albeit a small one” and realize that you are wrong
By Yachtsman on August 11th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Weighing in…
What you are saying is that a reasonable evaluation is not a factor in deciding the worth of a campaign contribution, and that the worth of a definable good or service is not the ordinary value set by the marketplace, but the value set by the candidate and his contributor. State and federal law disagree with you.
This state is, when it comes to political leaders, lawless. You seem to support that, so you are with the status quo. I am the odd man out and I realize this.
I am not overly vexed about this. But I enjoy watching supporters jump through hoops in order to justify their favored politician’s activities. Especially in light of the Sanford melt-down, it would seem that the populace would be looking for politicians that are free of scandal and reckless behavior. It is clear that this is not the case. I suspect that is why Drake has entered the race …he realizes the masses could care less about scandal.