Lawmakers Use Of Plane Questioned Further
S.C. lawmakers who used the state plane to travel to a “legislative conference” in Winston-Salem, N.C. last weekend – with a registered lobbyist in tow – are now facing heat from their colleagues over the flight. Specifically, one of their fellow legislators is publicly chastising them while another is looking to pre-file legislation that would prevent lobbyists from flying the taxpayer-funded skies.
S.C. Reps. Bill Herbkersman and Shannon Erickson, both of Beaufort, S.C., took it on the chin in a prominent story that ran in their local papers, the Beaufort Gazette and the Hilton Head Island Packet.
News of the questionable flight and the subsequent after-hours drinking parties that were held at the “Southern Legislative Conference” were first reported here on FITS earlier this week.
“It’s just not the right thing to do,” Rep. Richard Chalk told the papers of his colleagues’ recent flight. “We’re not that important that the state needs to be flying us around. I question it doubly because of the economic conditions.”
Joining Herbkersman and Erickson on the flight were S.C. Rep. Anne Peterson Hutto and former S.C. Majority Leader Jimmy Merrill, as well as two tourism officials and a registered lobbyist.
Comments
By CNSYD on August 21st, 2009 at 2:55 pm
And whose private planes did Sanfraud fly on 35 times and not report them per the latest from the AP?
By Huhhh??? on August 21st, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Mark made the AP an hour ago re: all the unreported (but required reported by law) trips he made on private planes.
By Clint on August 21st, 2009 at 3:24 pm
That state plane has been used more than Jeal Toal’s shot glass.
Lordy, lordy, just audit the use of the plane and put the results on line.
Simple, and important to the taxpayers.
By bj on August 21st, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Will, who is J.T. Gandolfo? He supplied plane rides to Gov Sanford.
By Karla M. McGowan on August 21st, 2009 at 5:49 pm
You can drive to Winston-Salem, N.C. in about 2 hours. I will bet it takes longer on an airplane.
By HERBY-KIRBY on August 22nd, 2009 at 11:04 am
That is it with Richard Chalk. My brother will be running against him again. He is just jealous because I did not invite him on the plane.
By funny on August 22nd, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Did the lobbyist pay for that flight or did we the taxpayers??
By marvin on August 23rd, 2009 at 9:50 am
Please. All these guys are a joke. From Sanford to Merrill, a bunch of arrogant politicians who think they’re above the rules.
But all these comments have a pattern of trying to turn the attention from the legislative cons, who’ve been bilking taxpayers for years without so much as a peep from the press. The best thing to come out of the governor’s mess? The good ole’ boys in the Statehouse and their overpaid, under-qualified minions are in for a ride on uncovering all the crap they’ve been doing.
It ain’t gonna stop at the mansion, boys. The Sanford mess is just sour icing on a rotten cake. Door is finally opening up.