By FITSNews || Shame on S.C. Treasurer Converse Chellis, whose first TV ad includes a gratuitous shot at former S.C. Treasurer Thomas Ravenel, the Lowcountry fiscal conservative who resigned in the wake of a drug scandal three years ago.
“When crisis rocked the State Treasurer’s Office, South Carolina turned to Converse Chellis,” the incumbent’s introductory TV ad proclaims over images of ‘Ravenel Indicted’ headlines.
The ad goes on to say that Chellis “restored integrity and stability” to the office, before claiming that he is a “proven conservative.”
Here’s the clip …
First of all, if Converse Chellis is a “proven conservative,” then we’re f*cking Daffy Duck.
In addition to a long history of fiscally reckless votes in the legislature and on the Budget and Control Board, Chellis has also funded bailouts for money-losing private maritime museums – the definition of “picking a loser” in the marketplace. Also, if you’re going to “restore integrity and stability” to the office, it might help to actually BE in the office – which has apparently been a bit of a problem for Chellis (who makes $92,000 a year and has all sorts of taxpayer-funded perks in his “part-time” position).
But here’s our real beef with this ad – it’s the way that Chellis brazenly seeks to profit from the misfortune of a guy who has done nothing but take his medicine like a man.
Say what you want about Thomas Ravenel (and people have said plenty), but the guy took responsibility for his actions – he didn’t duck and run like a coward. Nor did he pull a Mark Sanford and turn his personal crisis into an ongoing Narcissistic rant.
What did he do? He accepted his sentence and did his time in a federal prison – never once bitching about the fact that he got set up or that he was incarcerated out of politically-correct spite.
Oh, and whatever personal failings Ravenel may have had, he never let them interfere with protecting the taxpayers, which was the job he was elected to do in the first place.
Obviously, we disagree with most aspects of U.S. drug policy, but the case of Thomas Ravenel was a political hit – one that was called in as soon as the political establishment in Columbia (notably Senate Finance Chairman Hugh Leatherman and House Ways and Means Chairman Danny Cooper) recognized that the new Treasurer wasn’t going to vote in lockstep with the liberal “tax and spend” agenda supported by his predecessor.
Chellis, incidentally, has been a reliable “big government” vote for Leatherman and Cooper ever since taking his seat on the board …
Restoring integrity?
Please …
UPDATE: Forgot to mention … Ravenel declined to comment for our story.
By PalmettoWatchDog May 13, 2010 at 4:54 pm
Chellis is wrong for South Carolina. He’s part of the problem and I plan on fixing it on June 8th. Loftis is the people’s choice and he has my vote.
By John May 13, 2010 at 5:03 pm
Chellis was sued for fraud and sexual harrasment by his former CPA partner and his insurance company paid a large 6 figure settlement to keep the case from going to court. He is the typical Columbia Insider that chases skirts, sells favors and calls himself a Ronald Reagan Conservative. He is disgusting.
By Maggie May 13, 2010 at 5:04 pm
Maybe Ravenel never bitched “about the fact that he got set up or that he was incarcerated out of politically-correct spite” because those weren’t facts at all, and he and everyone else knew he was guilty as sin. I dunno, just a thought.
By Bob May 13, 2010 at 5:05 pm
Chellis has 99 problems, and work ain’t one.
By McCord May 13, 2010 at 5:08 pm
Chellis is not independent and owes his livelihood to the legislators who installed him into his office when Thomas Ravenel went to jail. I agree with FITS — this man is a mockery of independence. He is a stool-pigeon who calls his legislative handlers before making any important decisions. Something like their not-so-secret “control” or “mole” in the Treasurer’s Office. Like Kim Philby for the KGB. But here the mole and the Treasurer are one and the same. No intermediaries needed.
By Hell of a drug May 13, 2010 at 5:10 pm
I’d rather have Ravenel coked out cutting taxes than Chellis sucking off cooper and leatherman any day.
By ChellisDeChump May 13, 2010 at 5:12 pm
Chellis has no record so he runs on smears and attacks against anyone and anybody as long as he thinks he will profit by it. Ravenel was just convenient. You can’t believe a word Chellis says.
People in Summerville will tell you of a man and wife that have played hard (mainly with other people’s husbands and wives) drank hard (Sharon got a DUI with children in the car!), and were altogether selfish people that took far more than they have given.
I think he is going to lose this election.
By A real CPA May 13, 2010 at 5:16 pm
I am a CPA and have been watching Chellis a long time. He is a fraud.
Chellis says we have an AAA credit rating. We don’t as Standard and Poors downgraded us.
Chellis says his office made no mistake in the “missing 60 million dollars” but now emails have emerged showing that Dept of Revenue pleaded for the account number and that Chellis dragged his feet causing a real budget crises.
Chellis is a nasty man that was given an office by his friends in the legislature. He works part time and drives around in a taxpayer supported SUV, acting like some plantation owner while fleecing the taxpayers. Let’s dump this guy on June 8th and send him packing.
By Groundball May 13, 2010 at 5:29 pm
Gosh ….. you guys don’t like Chellis?
By Lilly Collette May 13, 2010 at 5:55 pm
News flash film at eleven:
I have no respect for any of them; south carolina is a leporus pustule on the back of decent human beings.
By beentook2 May 13, 2010 at 6:17 pm
Looked up “leporus pustule” using Urban Dictionary web site.
Dam, a picture of Henry McMaster popped up.
Personally, like phrase boil on the ass of mankind but shortening it to having/being a Henry will do.
By Yahoo May 13, 2010 at 6:18 pm
From a factual stand point Chellis’ TV ad is inaccurate. Chellis did not take over for Thomas Ravenel as stated in his ad, but from Columbia attorney Ken Wingate who was brought in as interim Treasurer. Not sure anyone had to restore integrity to the office but if that happened it was probably Ken Wingate who did the restoring. Ken is a stand up guy and fine Christian leader.
By Kyle May 13, 2010 at 6:19 pm
I understand why Chellis is running a smear type campaign. He has a cushy job to lose. What I don’t understand is why his campaign Chairman David Wilkens is allowing this dirty campaign to give hime a bad name. That just does not make sense.
By WorkingTommyC May 13, 2010 at 6:36 pm
If you had seen the encounter between Scott Malyerck and Curtis Loftis as I did (http://atgpress.com/wtc/wtc_056.htm) you would have a lot of respect for Loftis standing up for himself against the vicious attacks he was subjected to.
Chellis is as corrupt as he is lazy. Anyone who would hire Scott Malyerck at six figures and then send him around, in violation of state law, to politic for him (http://garnetspy.com/2010/05/08/ethics-problems-in-state-treasurers-office/) needs to be fired by the people of this state.
By joey May 8, 2012 at 11:49 pm
You must be gay like Curtis!
By Lioness May 13, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Thanks Will for printing the truth…Curtis is a true conservative with a plan for cleaning up the Treasurer’s Office! It is the people’s money!!!
By No Name May 13, 2010 at 8:13 pm
Everything that is wrong with our State is embodied in this person and this race.
What State has as much riding on the defeat of a shit head like this ….all because the State is operated by a Politiburo.
And still the sheeple stay quiet and snooring.
By Harris May 13, 2010 at 9:11 pm
chellis was given his job as treasurer as a reward for being the waterboy for Harrell, Wilkens, etc. He owes them, not the people. He votes with them. He works like them, 3 days a week.
This race is an important one. And I think the people of SC realize this is business as usual (Chellis) vs. conservative reform (Loftis).
The people need control of the Treasurer’s office, not the good old boys.
By William Harton May 13, 2010 at 9:53 pm
And just what is this Loftis guy going to do any different? Is he ready to turn down the salary and be a REAL PUBLIC SERVANT? I don’t think so!!!
By John Cattano May 13, 2010 at 11:08 pm
A person who expects full-time pay for part-time hours is delusional and deserves to be fired. With the current crop of elected officials, it’s no wonder South Carolina is ranked near last in all the important categories.
By Brian May 14, 2010 at 2:56 am
Wow…didn’t think I’d see the Thomas Ravenel lovefest on Fitsnews. The man had a cocaine problem…fiscal conservative or not…that’s just wrong. I want a fiscal conservative that’s not high on cocaine! Plus, we all knew he was just using that office to set himself up for a senate or governor run. Bottom line, Thomas Ravenel is not some kind of role model who I want my kids imitating!!!!
By Pam May 14, 2010 at 5:34 am
The Loftis website says he will refuse a state car,free gasoline, state retirement, cell phones. That is good enough for me as that is worth a lot of money. It shows where his heart is.
By billybob May 14, 2010 at 7:33 am
The Loftis campaign is trying to smear a good guy. I know Converse and to say that he works only 13 hours a week is crazy. Loftis only criticizes the treasurer he has ran a totally negative campaign. Converse has said nothing against Loftis.
By Vic Nettles May 14, 2010 at 8:52 am
What a low blow I was voting for him
By Michael May 14, 2010 at 10:17 am
For me, this race comes down to the $60 million that was lost. Someone needs to be held accountable for it. That means either the Treasurer, the Comptroller General or both. Chellis stating that it was not his office is not acceptable.
By Interesting May 14, 2010 at 10:33 am
Ravenal’s wife to him before he went out to work for the taxpayers every morning.
“Hey, Tom? You got a little … right there. Above your lip. No, you missed it. Under your nose. That’s the spot. Still there.
“Hmmm. Wait. Let me get out the shop vac.”
Why should he comment for this article? It was a love-fest.
By Cat Herder May 14, 2010 at 10:35 am
Just an aside related to the CPA’s comment above about the finger-pointing match over the missing money. Has anyone ever heard the word SCEIS? Stands for SC Enterprise Information System. The Brainchild of another shining example of State Government, Eckstrom. This system is the now the state accounting system. Millions have been paid for it and countless hours wasted when they could ill afford to be-to try to make a system work that simply does not.
Quite frankly, when the news came to light that money was missing because of an “error” every state employee within in earshot was muttering What ‘ya wanna bet it was SCEIS? The basic problem with this accounting system is that it is software made for the private sector and “modified” for the public sector. No one was the least bit surprised that money was missing due to an error.
Trust me this fiasco of a system is right up there with the security system at the state house. I am almost relieved to hear that e-mails emerged indicating it was not this system because if it was, I would not have been surprised to have another 100 million or so “disappear” before June 30.
By Seriously? May 14, 2010 at 10:42 am
“the fact that he got set up or that he was incarcerated out of politically-correct spite”
Seriously Will?!?! I know you worked for T-Rav and think highly of him, but he wasn’t set up. He was handing out coke to anybody in the Chas party scene who wanted a quick snort. Conservatives and believers in personal responsibility can easily agree that he broke the laws and got what he deserved. Nothing more or less.
And why do you think T-Rav’s very public arrest, guilty plea and imprisonment is somehow off-limits for Chellis? It’s not some “misfortune” as you would like to suggest. Was your other former boss’s decision to go to Argentina a “misfortune” too? Or Charlie Sharpe’s prison time for cock-fighting a “misfortune?”
Give me a break. These things aren’t secrets. These scandals have dominated the news for the last few years. And they’re all fair game in political campaigns.
I, for one, am sick and tired of having our state be the laughing stock of the nation.
By Darth May 14, 2010 at 10:49 am
And we could be bitchin’ about Tim Scott, but Chellis was the Chucktown mafia pick for the job.
By south mauldin May 14, 2010 at 1:30 pm
I met Ravenel once. I think it was at Vista Brewing. He was an arrogant asshole and he got exactly what he deserved. I’m just counting the days until that sewer rat decides to show his face in the arena of politics again.
By C4 May 17, 2010 at 1:00 pm
WOW!!! This Loftis crowd sure has some class! :/
I hope he is more of a respectable guy than his supporters are… crude language and lies… NICE! Yall sound like the true republican conservatives your Momma’s raised and that yall CLAIM to be!!!
STATE THE FACTS if you have beef – dont hurl ridiculous insults. It is obvious yall are Loftis supporters trying to smear Chellis. This crapp about affairs, DUI’s w/ children in the car… GIVE ME A BREAK!!! And yall say Chellis is the one running the smear campaign – trust me, no one is buying what yall are selling. AND OH YEAH – By the way – the $60 million ISNT LOST – dont believe everything you read on here!! Chellis is a Citadel graduate, served in The USAF, a CPA, a husband of 44 YEARS, and a father of 2 successful adults. He is doing it better than most… That I guarantee!
By Good Ole Boy May 21, 2010 at 11:08 am
C4, Are you DRUNK?
By C4 May 28, 2010 at 8:05 pm
I dont hang out w/ Curtis Loftis & his buddy Thomas Ravenel… so no, I am not drunk. Nor am I high on coke or doped up on medication to treat my bi-polar disorder in case those were your follow up questions.