By FITSNews || Senior partners at the Columbia, S.C. law firm of Nelson Mullins are reportedly pressuring their employees to financially support the Capitol City mayoral bid of ethically-challenged attorney Steve Morrison, who is himself a senior partner at the firm.
According to multiple sources (and copies of emails shared with FITS), firm employees are being aggressively solicited for donations to Morrison’s campaign – with more than a few of them telling us that the arm-twisting is beginning to cause problems within the firm.
Morrison is currently running for mayor of Columbia against councilman Kirkman Finlay III, attorney Steve Benjamin and local businessman Joe Azar. Despite his comparatively late entry into the race, Morrison has emerged as a favorite of the city’s liberal white establishment (a.k.a. the “Shandonistas”), throwing a wrench in what many assumed would be a “Benjamin blowout.”
As for Nelson Mullins – nothing surprises us over there anymore.
Ever since the firm’s top two conservative attorneys (Kevin Hall and Butch Bowers) left back in August, Nelson Mullins has given up any pretense of being a “bipartisan” firm. In fact they’re even roping former “conservatives” into backing Morrison’s bid.
By countryboy March 20, 2010 at 12:23 pm
Kinda surprising really. Street Ho’s usually just automatically help each other.
By BLEnforcer March 20, 2010 at 6:11 pm
Did you expect that they would be pressured to vote for his opponent?
It’s just common sense to expect a firm or business to encourage its members to vote/contribute for one of its own. A non-story.
By fitsnews March 20, 2010 at 6:34 pm
It’s a story (in our opinion) because several of the people we spoke with felt like they would suffer consequences if they did not “play ball.”
THAT is wrong, and the people pressuring them should be exposed for it.
-FITS
By Todd March 20, 2010 at 8:43 pm
I’ll match what Judge G. Ross Anderson contributes.
By w March 21, 2010 at 8:02 am
So now Will is the champion of the poor, oppressed employees of this law firm. Could he strain any harder to make something out of nothing? How silly.
By Ynotfirst March 21, 2010 at 8:50 am
evil law firm
By Over My Dead Body March 21, 2010 at 11:20 am
If corporate leaders have a right to spend their shareholders money, they probably have a right to encourage their employees to spend money.
By MOHANNA March 21, 2010 at 12:26 pm
It’s a story because the Law Firms who support any candidate are looking for a Quid Pro Qou. Law Firms aren’t known for any Good Government Positions. Besides most people just hate Lawyers and any chance we get to stick it to them is always a good time.
By Huhhh??? March 21, 2010 at 7:02 pm
Morrison is running to split the white vote so Benjamin will be a winner.
You Columbia dummies need to come out in the country and learn how this works in the counties where the racial demographics are the same as Columbia’s.
By Lowcountry Hog March 21, 2010 at 9:43 pm
Hall and Bowers split because they A) aren’t smartest cats B) attempting to capitalize on the Governors misery and PR time C)were causing multiple firm conflicts …. get your story straight before FITS, and from other sources than Hall and Bowers, who will become just another law firm when Marky Mark is gone….
By Calhoun Fawls March 22, 2010 at 6:50 am
Do not forget that another firm is trying to buy the AG’s office with Mr. Lord.
By bqueen March 22, 2010 at 9:52 am
Is this the same Kevin Hall who was threatened with immediate incarceration by Judge Alison Lee for discovery abuse back in 2000?
By Doris March 22, 2010 at 9:54 am
I agree with Huhhh. Nobody ever thought Morrison was serious about being mayor of Columbia. If he was to accidentally win, he would only get a junior associate to do the work for him – then would throw him under the bus when they got caught in some ethics breach. It would only be a matter of time.
By R March 22, 2010 at 12:26 pm
“Calhoun Fawls” I have a family member who works for Mr. Lord’s firm and they have not be encouraged or approached anyone one bit to support or contribute his campaign. I’d much rather support Mr. Lord than Joe Wilson Jr. who wants to use the AG’s office to be a career politician like daddy.
By D.G. March 22, 2010 at 1:47 pm
Oh R, Silly R –
Alan is running for AG because he enjoys the public service that comes with putting bad guys away. That’s why he’s devoted his career to working as a prosecutor. He’s not running for AG because he has higher aspirations.
And by the way — have you ever met Joe Wilson? I have — and I’m proud to call him my Congressman. He’s excellent.
Meantime, why would Leighton Lord give up a high paying job at NP to take a job as AG that earns less than six figures? You think there are no higher aspirations there? Hmmmm….
~D.G.
By Checking in March 22, 2010 at 4:10 pm
DG,
Mr. A. Wilson took numerous attempts to pass the bar, and did what a lot of folks do straight out of law school, work for the local solicitor. I think Mr. Wilson is a man a great character, but still needs to earn his stripes as a lawyer. Less than 10 years practicing doesn’t make you qualified to the top attorney in the state.
As for Daddy….well, I have several nice key chains.
Mr. Lord, well he doesn’t need the money, so maybe he feels this is his call to public service, I don’t know.
I’ve yet to make up my mind on this race, and no D has yet entered, although I’m hearing of a credible candidate that may be lurking. We’ll see. If Mr. A Wilson would have waited until at least 2014, I would have considered him more.
By ed rollins March 22, 2010 at 8:38 pm
Graef S. Crystal , a business professor at the University of
California at Berkeley and editor of a newsletter on corporate
compensation . Then come the overcompensated .. those with low
performance and high pay. At the top of the list in 1994 are
Stephen G. Morrison of the Policy Management Systems Corporation,
whom Mr Crystal judges to be overpaid by 496 percent.