As part of our ongoing effort to expose the hypocrisies and double standards of South Carolina’s mainstream media, FITS posted an item a few weeks ago about Warren Bolton, editorial writer at La Socialista (a.k.a. The State).
Bolton, it seems, has a bit of a liberal ideological “bro-mance” going with Columbia, S.C. mayoral candidate Steve Morrison – something he has been gushing about breathlessly in his columns for months.
Anyway, we noted in our report that Bolton (who is South Carolina’s preeminent anti-payday lending crusader) had yet to mention a certain something about Morrison in any of his fawning columns – namely the fact that Morrison has served as lead counsel for payday lending giant Advance America (which also just so happens to be the company La Socialista hit up in a recent journalistic blackmail scam).
Why does this matter? Well, another Columbia attorney in the mayoral race – Steve Benjamin – also has connections to the payday lending industry, which is something Bolton points out every chance he can get.
Several days after our story ran, reporter Adam Beam over at La Socialista (apparently flooded with phone calls as a result of our post), wrote an article on his Metro Desk blog entitled “Steve Morrison and Payday Lending” which addressed Morrison’s alleged connections to the payday lending industry.
In that story, both Morrison and Advance America flatly denied that Morrison had ever worked for the company.
Specifically, Morrison said that he has “never represented a payday lending company,” according to Beam, while Advance America said that “Morrison does not represent them and never has.”
Pretty cut and dried, right?
One would think …
According to documents obtained by FITS, however, Morrison was retained a year ago by Advance America to represent its corporate officers and directors who had been contacted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as part of an investigation into “possible insider trading.”
In one of these documents, a top attorney with Advance America informs a group of company officials that “I have retained Steve Morrison of the Nelson Mullins law firm in Columbia, S.C. to represent officers and directors who have received a request for information from the SEC.”
One of the Morrison documents
Morrison has previously stated that he represented Advance America CEO Ken E. Compton in a “personal matter,” but the documents we obtained paint another picture.
“Steve will serve as company-paid counsel to any individual board members and/or officers who desire his representation,” one of the documents states.
The documents go on to spell out the exact nature of the relationship between Morrison and Advance America’s officers and directors, urging them to contact Morrison directly “if you have received a letter or subpoena from the SEC and want Steve’s advice and guidance.”
So … why would someone ostensibly as bright as Morrison play so fast and loose with the truth? Particularly knowing that such an unambigious paper trail existed?
We wondered the same thing. In fact, until the documents were verified as authentic by multiple sources, we thought they might have been provided to us as a plant …
Obviously, we continue to believe that the payday lending industry has been unfairly targeted by grandstanding, jury-shopping lawyer-legislators who are more interested in padding their own pockets than protecting the poor.
We also believe that the state’s mainstream media establishment has bought the scam hook, line and sinker.
Still, it would appear that Morrison – who brands himself as a crusader against all of that – has some explaining to do.
It would also appear that not one, but two Columbia mayoral candidates, now has a “payday problem.”
By howdumcanyagit December 29, 2009 at 9:27 am
Columbia’s racial demographics are almost evenly divided between black and white.
Morrison is running to split the white vote to the benefit of Atlantic Beach attorney Steve Benjamin.
Add to that the students from Benedict and Allen who will be registering to vote in Columbia and the absentee votes from the owners of every piece of condemned property in the city and Columbia will have its first black mayor, with Steve Morrison’s manipulation.
By Todd December 29, 2009 at 9:54 am
Based upon information and belief, this isn’t the only “smoking gun” in Morrison’s past. Keep digging, Sic. Or talk with any former NM attorneys as they have a cool one at Publick House on Divine.
By Overruled December 29, 2009 at 10:25 am
but the fact you have been paid and may still be getting paid by the payday lending industry has nothing to do with your vile towards those that don’t like it and believe they broke the law?
Pingback: FITSnews.com versus Bolton
By fitsnews December 29, 2009 at 10:44 am
“Overruled,”
Don’t you know? Everybody and their brother is paying Sic Willie.
-FITS
By jeffy December 29, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Now that you have called him out SIC, Bolton will go back to the only other topic he likes to discuss, elderly deaths in his Sunday School class. He is such a joke. But I guess at $25,000 a year thats the best they can get.
By Bozo December 29, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Good reporting Sic Willie. i still have to wonder why our state government cares about payday lending. Anyone knows the industry charges exorbitant rates but what is wrong with buyer beware?
By WorkingTommyC December 29, 2009 at 2:34 pm
$25,000???
He’s overpaid!
Fascinating info, Willie!
Amazing how newspapers play every angle they can get. No wonder the likes of Wart Boredom at Der Staat were living it up with the influentiazis instead of leading a crusade against the corruption in this state. They were PAID to look the other way!
By not too smart December 29, 2009 at 2:43 pm
I’m not a corporate lawyer, but I’m pretty sure the corporation is a separate entity from the officers or directors. So even if the “company paid” for the Morrison’s defense of some officers for alleged illegal insider trading, Morrison would be representing the officers, not the company. I’d welcome an education on this…
By southernmapart December 29, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Bozo, are you sure you want “buyers beware” in an ethics code somewhere?
What if some doc shot you up with pain meds, at your request, and slowed your heart rate to near standstill. You may not consider this instance is the same thing as too much interest, but the principle/principal is there and must be paid, after paying usurious interest or recuperating from a failing heart.
Good luck to ya.
By The Associate December 29, 2009 at 4:04 pm
Not Too Smart, you hit the nail on the head. Morrison’s comments are a matter of semantics. There are lawyers who might question his ethics, but there is no disputing he is a brilliant lawyer. For that reason, he’s not going to get caught in a wording war. Sic, just an FYI, but the person paying the legal bills isn’t always the client. The client is who is represented by the attorney. It sounds like Morrison’s correct on this one.
By Not Sayin', Just Sayin' December 29, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Nice reporting, Sic.
By Edmund Burke December 29, 2009 at 7:07 pm
Morrison is the best big case, bet-the-company defense lawyer in SC, hands down. Why he would want to be Mayor? Maybe he wants to make a positive difference in his community — just like he did in the School District litigation — which he did for pennies.
Like the Art Museum? Thank Steve, who rescued it from the brink of disaster — Glad that Benedict College’s doors are still open? Thank Steve, who helped steer them through some pretty choppy seas. He is not a liar — and he is not a politico — but he is a fighter, and a damn good one. He’ll fight for Columbia just as hard as he fights for his clients –those who can pay and those who can’t.
When good, smart people who give a damn — like Steve, or Steve Benjamin, or Kirkman Finley, for that matter — decide it just ain’t worth it to serve in public office, then we get the ilk we have.
By Todd December 29, 2009 at 8:11 pm
Regardless of Edmund Burke’s canonization of Morrison, keep digging Sic. It’s out there. Keep digging. It’s so out there.
By Mike at the beach December 29, 2009 at 8:16 pm
Altruistic, public service minded attorneys? Haven’t met one yet. I’m sure one exists, just haven’t met him (or her) yet…
By Literate December 29, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Read the quote. Read the document. Doesn’t take much effort. This is a complete non-issue.
By jeffy December 30, 2009 at 10:24 am
Bozo…the state regulates the fee…its $15. Is that high? ( I admit my info is from Warren Bolton so I could be wrong) . Sounds a ton cheaper than my lovely bank!
By TheInsideTrack December 30, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Almost, howdum…but you have it wrong on the vote splitting. Steve Morrison was urged to run by the black establishment running certain Richland School Districts who fire superintendents because they “aren’t black enough.” (Actually quote from when they let the last superintendent go). Anyway, SM was recruited by those folks to split the black vote (SM is all urban league, Benedict, Allen, etc etc) because in their opinion, Benjamin isn’t black enough for them to be mayor. So, Morrison and Benjamin are actually going to split the black vote and Finlay will win the election. Just wait and see which powerful black local leaders end up endorsing SM, and you will see who recruited him to run to defeat Benjamin.
By SnakeMD December 30, 2009 at 9:12 pm
Watch out for Benjamin. All he has to do is camp out at the churches of Bible Way, First Nazareth, and Brookland Baptist. Just these three churches alone have a combined membership of almost 20,000+. If their ministers tell them who to vote for almost 90% will do God’s will. A lot will not vote, but it is still a very large chunk of votes that can tip an election. Going to be interesting. Kirkman needs to brush up on his pulpit skills. If Kirkman visits these churches with his aide I hope they don’t come across like Jake and Elwood. “Can I get a witness…?”
By Mike December 30, 2009 at 11:25 pm
Gotta love the big CHECK INTO CASH advertisement right next to the article! Looks like the payday lending industry is taking over the blogs now too!
By Over My Dead Body March 18, 2010 at 12:22 am
Yeah, anyone with a legal education is going to side with him on this. If SicWillie gets sued after he takes FITSNews public and lies about the valuation and hires a lawyer – its he who is the client, not FITSNews.