By FITSNews || First of all, this was never supposed to be a “Haley v. Folks” situation.
That’s certainly never what we wanted, particularly seeing how this website has been a vocal supporter of Rep. Nikki Haley and – more importantly – the ideas she has consistently advanced.
But apparently that’s where we now are with all of this, as Team Haley’s response to our founding editor’s preemptive admission of an “inappropriate physical relationship” was to relentlessly smear his credibility as well as the credibility of this website.
(Quite successfully, we might add).
What have they not done, however?
Sued our founding editor for libel.
Some have argued that Haley’s campaign would face an uphill fight if it wanted to sue Folks (or FITS) for libeling her, seeing as the standard is much higher given Haley’s status as a public figure. That’s certainly true. For an elected official to win a libel judgment, they must not only prove that a statement made against them was false and injurious, but that it was made with “actual malice,” or a “reckless disregard for the truth.”
What does that mean, exactly?
Basically, it means that the person who made the statement knew it was false at the time that he or she made it.
In most cases that would be pretty difficult to do, but not this one.
How come? Well, if Will Folks was lying when he was forced to acknowledge his affair with Haley, then he – by definition – is guilty of libeling her with actual malice.
Case closed.
Similarly, Haley’s categorical denial – and subsequent full-frontal assault on Folks’ credibility – could meet the same standard if, in fact, evidence exists to prove that she did have an “inappropriate physical relationship” with Folks.
Sounds like all we need is a court case …
By Canofworms May 26, 2010 at 8:28 am
Haven’t you heard? She says she doesn’t want to “waste the energy” on this situation. Guess she got a few tips on laziness from her pal, half-term governor, Sarah Palin.
By WorkingTommyC May 26, 2010 at 8:36 am
Well, then, by your own standards, sue Haley for slander or libel or STFU.
By Dylan May 26, 2010 at 8:38 am
I don’t think most of us are believing you at this point. You claim all this proof and then just string everyone along. Your text messages are not proof and it’s not up to Haley to sue you for libel – she’s busy actually living her life, not playing ping-pong with a blogger who is apparently obsessed with her.
I can claim anything I want at any time but I’m a nobody just like you so any prominent figure out there would do just as what Nikki Haley has done, which is to do her best to ignore your obsession and deal with this later.
By Jay May 26, 2010 at 8:38 am
I have evidence that Folk’s mother had an inappropriate physical relationship with the ’73 Gamecocks football team, why doesn’t she just come clean?
By Joey May 26, 2010 at 8:45 am
How about we define “inappropriate physical relationship.” Did Haley and Folks have sex or not? If Sic said “Haley and I had sex” it’d be much easier to prove libel. But “inappropriate physical relationship” is pretty vague and can mean a wide range of things… maybe he’s referring to thumb-war matches in the car on the way to press conferences. Whatever the case, Folks hasn’t been specific enough for Haley to pursue a libel suit.
And what happened to Fits just dropping the bombshell and not saying anymore? Tsk tsk. You may as well just roll out the real evidence (oh wait there isn’t any) instead of this little by little dribble that has yet to be verified. Sic talking to his cronies about this story isn’t verification that it happened. I’m sure in middle school he said he was doing the head cheerleader at the high school too, but I bet that didn’t really happen either.
Will, if you wanted to be forthright with this, you should’ve produced all of your verifiable evidence when you went public with the story initially. But since you concocted the whole thing, there isn’t anything to go public with. I really want to know what you’re getting paid!
By CNChapin May 26, 2010 at 8:53 am
I’ve always liked you guys and this site, but I can say now that I’m starting to really dislike you. Sic Willie could be telling 100% truth, but at this point I’m fucking caring less and less.
Shut the fuck up already and “let the chips fall where they may.” We got it. Sic Willie supposedly has a wandering cock and Haley supposedly has a wandering punta. Haley is smearing the cock wielding dip shit and the cock is not happy about it. What the fuck did you expect?
Get off of Barrett’s dick long enough to realize that you’re hurting yourself by not shutting the fuck up long enough for the fucking chips to fall.
How much did Barrett pay you, anyway? Maybe you’re just vying for a position on McMastah’s taint nuzzling team? What gives? You’re definitely not making sound decisions so you can’t be motivated by common sense. You must be motivated by something else and I’m betting McMastah or Barrett at this point since common sense is the furthest from their campaigns. Then again, maybe you’re just riding Bauer’s geriatric loving dick? He likes to give it to boys, after all. He also has the common sense of a horny ass-pirate just out of the isolation cell and back into the general population at the local pen.
If you’re telling the truth, then shut the fuck up and let Haley be the one to end-up with egg on her face.
By Incredulous May 26, 2010 at 8:53 am
Why do we need a court case in order for Will Folks to release evidence to support his claim? Why not release it now? First Will said he wasn’t going to comment on this any more (this was a LIE). Instead, we are getting a daily drip of rumor and innuendo from WF, and after 3 days, still ZERO evidence of anything inappropriate on Haley’s part. Also ZERO evidence that WF was “forced” to do anything. It is now clear that WF will do anything, including the posting of fake text messages, in a lame but transparent attempt destroy Nikki Haley and her family in order to satisfy his self-described “insatiable lust for attention”.
By sclawboy May 26, 2010 at 8:55 am
Will,
You’ve made your point. Haley, to my knowledge, kept her mouth shut yesterday and has not pushed back any further. The only drama left is how long you are going to tease this thing out and what else you are going to dangle for us.
You made a tactical decision to get in front of this thing. Haley blew you up instead of admitting or denying and moving on. You raised the stakes by offering, and then showing, some proof. Let it go now unless she pushes it further.
Many people believe you, many do not. Addressing this further only hurts you and Nikki. If you win, you still lose.
By Jay May 26, 2010 at 9:02 am
Having an inappropriate physical relationship with yourself and fantasizing about her doesn’t count – if that is the case there are many guilty parties.
By Carl May 26, 2010 at 9:05 am
If Will Folks was such a supporter of Nikki Haley as he claims I question why he would go public with such comments about an affair he was supposed to have had with her. Such a charge seems designed for only one purpose – to sink her campaign.
Why is it that Sicko Willie could not have just confessed the incident with his wife and apologized to her only since his claim is that she would be hurt. She isn’t hurt anyway if this is true?
If these charges are untrue I hope this Sicko is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Why is the Republican party in SC now becoming the party of personal attacks and dirty dealings?
CARL
By Male Sapphist May 26, 2010 at 9:06 am
When are the ‘Team Sic’ shirts going to be on the market?
By Pat Brookshire May 26, 2010 at 9:20 am
I don’t really care one way or the other if she did or did not. My problem is with you coming forward 5 years later. If this happened a week ago, I would understand your coming forward. What is in the past as far as I am concerned is in the past. I think all of us at one time or another have done something we are not proud of. 5 years ago is a little far fetched.
Evidently, your life is so dull and routine that you have to ride the coat tails of someone else to get noticed. I don’t understand such needs. Did you not get any attention at home or anywhere else?
You are a sick person. You need to learn to keep your mouth shut.
By law anyone? May 26, 2010 at 9:22 am
why in the world does FITS think Haley has to sue for libel right now? she has up to 3 years to file this suit, and she can do so after the election just as successfully as she can now.
i’ve got no clue what happened, and not sure it really matters. but this libel angle FITS keeps hammering should probably go away. it’d be nice if less people in the world sued to begin with, and the lack of a lawsuit certainly doesn’t prove the negative.
By Canofworms May 26, 2010 at 9:23 am
@Carl “Why is the Republican party in SC now becoming the party of personal attacks and dirty dealings?” Boy, you haven’t been paying attention have you? Meet the REAL Republican party of SC, you know, the one that talks about “family values” but never quite articulates whose family they’re talking about. Why it was our very own native son, Lee Atwater, who birthed the politics of personal destruction and franchised it nationwide. It’s a bloodsport here and has been as long as I can remember and it only gets worse with each and every election cycle. Not that Will is drawing much blood from Haley as far as I can see but maybe that’s because he still wants her to win.
Oh and ps? Put up or shut up Will. Enough of the slow reveals.
By Rick Davis May 26, 2010 at 9:35 am
What insightful wikipedia-informed legal analysis on the part of an unemployed, unimportant exhibitor of misogynistic and sexually-fantastic stalker behaviour! It’s clear you’re not an attorney, and it’s clear you’ve missed the point of my obvious (and actually legally-informed) response to your loaded accusatory questioning of Ms Haley’s failure to file suit: the proof of “actual malice” requires the EXHAUSTION of REASONABLE DOUBT as to its motivation of the defendant’s actions.
To put it in terms of the “white-trash” dramaticism and sexual fantasy that characterises your behaviour: It is much easier to prove that I have *EVER* shopped at WalMart (by which I mean no associative impugnment of WalMart patrons, as commonly one myself…), by showing video of myself at a checkout line, than it is to prove that I have *NEVER* shopped at WalMart…how can I possibly prove such a claim without showing all possible videos of all times at all WalMarts everywhere?
It is likewise far easier to prove, by offering text messages, emails, or other evidence, that I *have* been embroiled at one time in a relationship with someone, than it is to prove, exhaustively, that I COULD NOT POSSIBLY EVER HAVE BEEN.
Public-figure libel laws, as is the unfortunate case with many laws in this country, are crafted specifically to protect the defendants. The jury in any public-figure libel case will be directed to acquit if there is *any* remaining reasonable doubt that the defendant’s actions were willfully false and malicious. As there is really no way that Ms Haley could ever prove exhaustively that she was never involved in an “inappropriate physical relationship” with you
I wonder if it’s dawned upon you yet that, once the fire of this scandal is extinguished, your future is an irrelevancy even more profound than your invisibility of last week. Not only will you be a pariah to the politicos who knew you were lying from the start, but you’ll be just as useless to those who believed you or who assumed you were lying but used your accusation for its political expedience — what are worth the words of a man who can’t even prove an affair?
By Moe May 26, 2010 at 9:44 am
That explanation as to why Nikki Haley hasn’t sued Folks/FITS is totally ridiculous.
If not suing is an admission that the allegations(whatever the hell they are)are true it is of NO significance as proof.
Talk’s cheap .
By J. Grant May 26, 2010 at 9:48 am
God damn, I hate when a website follows a good business strategy! Stop stringing us along, Will! Give us all the info immediately, instead of releasing it piece by piece and getting better exposure for your advertisers! Also, you movie makers? Stop waiting to put movies out on DVD! They should go out IMMEDIATELY! And that reminds me: Television shows, just show all the episodes of any hit series back-to-back! Lost took 6 years? Bah! We could have just watched the whole thing in a couple of weeks! Authors, too! Stop releasing sequels every few years! Just write an entire trilogy and put out the whole thing in one fell swoop!
I HATE people who do things the smart way! They make me very angry, and I will have to visit this website again and again to see if my anger has caused any new developments in this case!
By Verne May 26, 2010 at 9:53 am
You are being a bit of a pansy, Will. Who’s “smeared” you? Sure, people are saying you are a paid politicial consultant who does what he does for money. Are you really confident that a libel suit on either side wouldn’t reveal exactly that?
Regardless of what’s true and what isn’t, you’ve proved you don’t have the steel nerves it takes to make it as a political player. Caving to the “intense, scary pressure” of Wes Donahue and the Free Times kinda makes you a wussy, dude.
By Joe May 26, 2010 at 10:02 am
@Canofworms
You think Atwater “birthed the politics of personal destruction and franchised it nationwide”? Wrong. LBJ beat him to the punch with his Daisy ad against Goldwater in 1964. The “politics of personal destruction” existed long before Atwater showed up.
At any rate, this story is tiresome. A lot of sound and fury really signifying nothing. Folks says he will make a statement and nothing else…then 10 more blog posts later it’s still percolating here.
Show some real evidence or STFU.
By sclawboy May 26, 2010 at 10:07 am
“Why is the Republican party in SC now becoming the party of personal attacks and dirty dealings?”
-Carl
My friend, have you ever heard of Lee Atwater? Do you remember the wisper campaign against John McCain (he fathered a baby with a black woman)? This is SOP for the South Carolina Republican Party.
By jim May 26, 2010 at 10:07 am
Truly ridiculous. A lawsuit by Haley would guarantee that this story continued for at least a year, or more, and would subject her to subpoenas and depositions. If Haley wants to guarantee that this story will never go away, file a lawsuit. No lawyer in the country would advise her to file a libel suit in this situation. Not one.
By schousehopeful May 26, 2010 at 10:20 am
I’m not a lawyer and don’t claim to know the law, but what has bothered me all along is the statement “inappropriate physical relationship”. To me this could mean so many things, a hand on the knee at the wrong time, a kiss on the cheek that wasn’t expected, even an obvious intentional boob graze, or it could mean what it seems to be insinuating. At this point I want to say, put up or shut up!!!!These are the politics we need to get rid of in order to advance our state forward.
By General Washington May 26, 2010 at 10:20 am
Workin Tommy C turning on Folks, your credibility would be shot but you have to posses something to lose it.
By Step to the Right May 26, 2010 at 10:58 am
Everything was so much better in SC when we had only one party (The Democrats) in control of our pitiful little state! Let’s bring back those good old days when James F. Byrnes, Fritz Hollings, Edgar Brown, Robert McNair, Dick Riley, Rembert Dennis, Bob Sheheen, Jean Toal, Sol Blatt and all those “perfect gentlemen” (sorry your Honor) did everything they could to help our state become the fine place it is today! God Bless them everyone!
By Dont Have a Dog in the Race May 26, 2010 at 11:02 am
Why do you keep posting these repetitive ‘Why hasn’t she sued us yet? What does she have to hide?’ articles.
-maybe she’s just not that into you…
By Whippersnapper May 26, 2010 at 11:08 am
It’s becoming VERY obvious that THIS WHOLE THING IS A LARGE NOTHING-BURGER CONCOCTED BY RITSNEWS & WILL FOLKS.
By Whippersnapper May 26, 2010 at 11:08 am
It’s becoming VERY obvious that THIS WHOLE THING IS A LARGE NOTHING-BURGER CONCOCTED BY RITSNEWS & WILL FOLKS.
By JT in G-Vegas May 26, 2010 at 11:16 am
Like many others… I ask where is the hard evidence? Being an I.T. guy for 25 years now… I can say that it is EASY to fake an email chain…all you need is a few hours of free time. As for the “SMS texts” that you published… I can create that in a Word Pad document…let’s see full unedited, certified copies of Verizion statements. Let’s have some definite clarity, not vague inuendo.
“Inappropriate…physical…” Could mean many things…maybe she gave you a hug..and you got a boner…or there were some innocent flirts..and somebody gave the other a playful swat on the ass… Most would say this is “inappropriate”…and it falls into the realm of “physical”, meaning it involves the human body.
IF there is hard proof (pun intended)…that there was steamy, sweaty, getting naked..FULL ON SEX… PRODUCE THE EVIDENCE…
If not… Drop it and go crawl under a rock…
Quit acting like the National Enquirer.
By Melanie May 26, 2010 at 11:24 am
Oh man. Sorry you’re taking such a beating here, Folks. If she would have just owned up and sucked it up, she’d still be ok politically. Why do these politicians never learn that it’s all gonna come out?? I don’t get why people think you would like about this. Who would invite this kind of mud-slinging. Enjoy the clicks though. And when is the “pic” going to come out? You know which one! Put it up already!!!
By The Truth May 26, 2010 at 11:33 am
Have you ever thought that you are so insignificant to Mrs. Haley that she would not waste her time on you when you have already committed career suicide? I don’t think accusing a woman of adultery will work in politics. I’m not sure if it has even been tried before. Whether it is true or not, she will ultimately become the victim due to the hands of two womanizers – Sic Willie and Sanfraud. You are best to pack up, move out the state, change your name, and start a new blog because your career as Will Folks aka Sic Willie at FITSNEWS is over!
By Flying Pig May 26, 2010 at 11:38 am
Well, if this doesn’t prove it!! Look at that photo of Haley, sanford and Folks! Just where the hell is Nikki Haley’s right hand!!! Look at that expression on Folk’s face – proof is in the pudding, clearly.
By The Truth May 26, 2010 at 11:39 am
On second thought, don’t “pack up, move out the state, change your name, and start a new blog”, you are best to just stick to what you are best at…. You should start a porn website because at best that is all FITSNEWS has been since its inception. The porn over shadows the false and ridiculously skewed stories. Just a thought since your blogging career is over!
By Incredulous May 26, 2010 at 11:56 am
CNN is calling Will Folks a liar:
While Pearson and Folks make allusions to the “rumor,” there is nothing in the correspondence proving Folks’ claim that he had an “inappropriate physical relationship” with Haley in 2007.
Pearson said the text messages are authentic but said he was only working with Folks to prevent “false rumors” from coming to light.
“This blogger’s overactive imagination has gone into overdrive,” Pearson said in an e-mail to CNN. “South Carolina politics is full of rumors and innuendo, and of course our campaign did everything in our power to prevent false rumors about Nikki from airing out in the media as they now have.
“Every campaign would have done exactly the same thing,” he added. “As always, Nikki is determined to keep this campaign focused on the people and issues that matter.”
By Steve May 26, 2010 at 12:25 pm
OK this is what I have noticed. Will Folks is a self serving POS and I just have to say he slams people when it Suites/Benefits him. Well Will and FITS you both Kiss my Ass.
I would be curious you have hinted it hurt your credibility (although I don’t think you ever had any) How much MORE traffic are you getting to your site because of this. I am betting at least a 30% spike. I will check that and get back to you.
Still sounds like Will trying to make money off somebody else.
By countryboy May 26, 2010 at 12:25 pm
First Sanford (who the founding editor * worked for) then Kelly Payne (who the founding editor allegedly supported) and now Nikki (who the founding editor also allegedly supports). Does anyone but me find this a strange coincidence? Kind of like a kiss of death, to be associated with the “founding editor”.
* Note, my excessive use of founding editor is due to….. well, FITS excessive use of the term.
By B Tobin May 26, 2010 at 12:26 pm
Change your blog to FITSCrap and readers will have a better understanding of what you are all about. Credibilty? ha ha.
By Steve May 26, 2010 at 12:36 pm
Looks Like your stats are up about 60%
By Joe May 26, 2010 at 1:09 pm
FLORENCE – Francis Marion University is offering a limited number of free tickets to the public for a debate featuring the Republican candidates for governor on Tuesday, June 1.
The debate, which will be broadcast live on WBTW News 13 is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Chapman Auditorium on the FMU campus.
Republican hopefuls Gresham Barrett, Andre Bauer, Nikki Haley and Henry McMaster will take part in the event that will center on job creation and developing long-term economic growth in South Carolina.
News 13’s Bob Juback will moderate the debate, which will feature a panel of journalists.
By John May 26, 2010 at 1:09 pm
Either put up or shut up – either you have evidence (in which case, publish it) or shut up about it (or admit you were lying). This is starting to look like the dance of the seven veils.
By Margie May 26, 2010 at 1:25 pm
J. Grant, you crack me up!
But on another note, why do so many of you have to be disgusting and crude in your comments? When you resort to that, you look much more moronic than you’re making Sic out to be.
And what some of you seem to be missing is that NH also denied knowing that this announcement was coming, when in fact her campaign manager did know (and so, likely, did she). She also tried to make it seem like she barely even knew Sic; so why would he receive a message from her several days before the announcement?
By Margie May 26, 2010 at 1:26 pm
Sorry. I meant an unanswered call from her several days before the announcement.
By boo May 26, 2010 at 1:26 pm
So is she officially a whoor yet? Or just a teabagger?
By Simple Pete May 26, 2010 at 1:35 pm
You people attacking Folks are such dumbasses. He is brilliantly manipulating all of you. The chorus of “put up or shut up” is growing louder, and he is trickling out information in a slow reveal to generate hits and business. And if Will’s track record is any indication, he has the goods and will burn all of you. DRAMA GETS WEB HITS.
The mistake was made by Nikki when she denied all of this. She should have known that calling Will a liar would cause him to go into proof mode. And that ain’t exactly a good place to put Will on this story or any other. If Will posts something, the only sensible reaction strategy is to hide and hope no mainstream outlet picks it up. If a mainstream outlet picks it up, come clean immediately and then STFU. That is Folks 101.
And P.S., all of you who keep talking about defamation law, most of you have no idea what you’re talking about. Will is absolutely right re public figure defamation and actual malice. There is no functional difference in this case between a public figure defamation case and a private figure defamation case. Actual malice is definitionally present if Folks is lying (and I sure don’t think he is) because he claims to have been a participant. And the statute of limitations for defamation in South Carolina isn’t three years, r-tards.
There are two morals to this story, two things I have known for a long time (as any South Carolina politico should). One, don’t fuck with Will Folks, or he will burn your ass six ways to Sunday. Two, Will is VERY careful about not defaming people. There is no way he would post all this if it wasn’t true.
By Harumph May 26, 2010 at 1:40 pm
Hell, I don’t see why FITS wouldn’t sue them. Unless they have truth as a defense. Maybe to support that defense she’d finally release her emails instead of stonewalling behind legislative privilege.
By Max May 26, 2010 at 1:58 pm
BREAKING NEWS: Will Folks is having an affair with John McCain’s illegitimate black child! News at 11.
By Max May 26, 2010 at 1:59 pm
Simple Pete ,
are you on drugs? Will has admitted to taking money to push FALSE stories, something he doesn’t find to be wrong or unethical.
Yea, don’t fuck with Will Folks or he will beat you like your his girlfriend!
By Dont Have a Dog in the Race May 26, 2010 at 2:04 pm
“There are two morals to this story,”
-LOL, you said the word morals…
“One, don’t fuck with Will Folks, or he will burn your ass six ways to Sunday. ”
-THAT’s RIGHT, BITCHES! He’s a bad-ass who no one has ever heard of before this week, (and probably won’t give two shits about the week after next).
I love how this will FOxchs guy has people putting up testimonials about how bad-ass he is. Hi-Larry-Us. “DON’T FUCK WITH WILL FOLKS, HE’LL MESS YOU UP”..
Right…the guy who gives himself a nickname is so hardcore!
I’ll repeat this just for Simple Pete:
“When Will Forks walks into a whorehouse women pay HIM not to sleep with them.”
“Will Folks couldn’t get laid in a whorehouse with a suitcase of fresh C-notes.”
“Will Forks’ cock ‘n’ balls were the original test specimens for the world’s first electron microscope.”
“Will Forks’ typical pillow talk with his wife: Will’s wife: ‘Are you in yet?’ Will: ‘Shit, I’m already done.’”
“Will Forks once almost made a woman cum. Almost.”
“Will Forks has as much work experience as Barak Obama.”
“Will Forks hasn’t had pussy since pussy had him.”
By Max May 26, 2010 at 2:06 pm
Simple Pete,
Your name speaks for itself. Drip dripping the story for business is in direct contrast to what Folks claimed was his reasoning for making these claims. He said he needed to protect his family from an impending story, and then he said he would never speak of it again. That lasted a whole 24 hours until the next news cycle. He is blatantly lying, and as you point out, it’s all for his 15 minutes of fame and his business. Creating a false drama to drive traffic.
Folks’ history of domestic violence, the video he made last June in which he talks about physical assaulting Haley, as well as his actions on this site point to a man obsessed with a woman who is not interested in him or returning his advances. He is a text book stalker, true blue obsession, not unlike John Hinckley and Jodi Foster.
By Reace May 26, 2010 at 2:31 pm
If the best proof you have for your accusation is “well… They aren’t sueing me” and a few text messages with a campaign worker on her staff discussing rumors, you aren’t going to convince anyone. As Nikki has stated, she’s a little busy running a campaign. Congrats on getting a few hits on your site, though.
By A.M. Mallett May 26, 2010 at 2:43 pm
Either put up or pull the rock back over your head.
By No Name May 26, 2010 at 2:43 pm
What got Martha Stewart was the lie in the reaction to the charge.
If you beleive that the texts are legit……she knew in advance it might come.
In her answer to a question by Bob McClain of W.O.R.D. to the question….a little softball….which was “how would someone like Will come to make this charge….did you Nikki….. know him”
… she slipped into clear dissembler mode……. lowered her voice pitch…. and said matter of factly that maybe Will had done some meaningless work on a Halley campaign while B.J.Bolling …no pun intended on the name…was off working for McCain.
The only inference you could make from the answer was that she knew him in a perfunctory relationship….Will as the minor worker bee if you will.
Most professional pols in Columbia would know this is just bull shit.
In the texts that were disclosed…. we civilians….people not drenched in the sophmoric crap that passes for political consulting….see just how silly and often immature operatives can be and how prematurely excited they can be….with the delusions that follow…..delusions that no doubt led Lerner and the DC wizards to advise her to ride this all out.
We are now well into the storm and the other campaigns are having a field day getting proxies to alternatlely scream for more disclosure and the Halley camp now in Alamo mode of taking Will down with them.
Sadly the candidate rarely can see through this fog of war…..I mean Mark is not stupid and yet I hear when he reviewed his performance in the resignation hall…..he was stunned how different he saw it and how he experienced it.
Nikki…..Will is now going to save his reputation and his site by proving that you did the act…..does not really bother me…between you and your husband …..that you knew about it’s disclosure and did not have an answer…a joint conference stops it all…damaging…but controllable…..and now lied your ass of about it…which will lead to your public dismantling……Will will be famous….he will be known as getting you to blow him and then blowing you up.
The SC reform agenda ended in Argentina….we all should have waited 4 years before we went back to battle…..reformers will now be known as posers and sexually indifferent people…. who wanted less government but more extra-marital freedoms….not a winning State agenda.
Just as in the case with Eckstrom……if you want to do it ….get divorced and then go at it….respect the simple contract of marriage….cause if you are fucking around on your spouse….. you will be percieved to also fuck the tax payer.
Get Jenny’s book agent and an outline ready right now.
By A.M. Mallett May 26, 2010 at 2:44 pm
Simple Pete has to be a sock puppet.
By OhNoNotAgain May 26, 2010 at 2:48 pm
What you didn’t mention about defamation is that if Will wants to sue, he certainly falls under the public figure rule himself.
I love the number of posts who say Will is a nobody, then they mention the Corvette and the domestic violence incident from years back.
He is a public figure just on the basis of this story, having willingly inserted himself into the spotlight (I don’t know if that is a euphemism for NH or not). But he had enough statewide notoriety beforehand as the governor’s spokesman.
So, if he decides to go “after” those who are slamming him, he will have to prove actual malice or a reckless disregard for the truth.
That’s a pretty high standard. No way that ever gets filed. We’re being jerked around about that.
By The Colonel May 26, 2010 at 2:54 pm
Folks none of this is new, we’ve got the “petticoat affair” from Andrew Jackson’s day (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petticoat_affair) where the allegation was that half of Jackson’s cabinet was sleeping with the widow of an associate.
Lee Atwater, while a truly genius political operative, did not invent “the politics of personal destruction”, in fact most of the crap that goes on today is amateurish by comparison to the bare knuckles brawling (literal) of the 1800s. More than one presidential candidate was rumored to have fathered mulatto children, John McCain was just the most recent (in at least one case, it was true, Jefferson and Sally Hemmings).
Rumors of affairs have plagued just about every president we’ve had that was worth a damn. Kennedy (in his case they were true), Eisenhower (probably false), FDR (true), Clinton (we probably only know the half of his dalliances). Reagan was fairly untarnished by this type of scandal but he was also a divorcee. Carter was probably to only president we’ve had in recent history who didn’t have some swirl of innuendo about him and we see what a crappy president he turned out to be.
Many of our Governors kept mistresses across the street in the old Wade Hampton. Many of our representatives frequented a hotel cum whore house about 5 blocks further down Assembly, it was a matter of public knowledge in those days.
None of this is new. Illicit boot knocking has been going on for ever; ever hear of places called Sodom or Gomorrah? Doesn’t make it right. We’ve had some great governors who by all accounts kept their “peckers in their pocket”, Carroll Campbell to my knowledge was never creditably accused of such, nor was Beasley or Hodges. (in Hodges case, who’d want him, he and the old “founding editor” could be brothers and they’re both butt ugly).
Here’s the question you’ve got to answer; are you willing to take Haley with (or without as the evidence may prove) her faults. Personally, I think a chastised governor is better than one who thinks he’ll (she’ll) get away with something.
By OhNoNotAgain May 26, 2010 at 2:59 pm
And I love this attitude –
“Just as in the case with Eckstrom……if you want to do it ….get divorced and then go at it….respect the simple contract of marriage….cause if you are fucking around on your spouse….. you will be percieved to also fuck the tax payer.”
Respect the simple contract of marriage by getting a divorce.
Yeah, that’ sounds about right.
Respect the contract of marriage by not screwing around, ever. If you can’t keep that promise, don’t make that promise.
By Abracadabra May 26, 2010 at 3:26 pm
After seeing Folk’s picture, I think Haley has the makings of a helluva libel case. Implying anyone would have sex with this low forehead is a textbook definition of Malicious Intent.
By The Truth May 26, 2010 at 3:47 pm
Simple Peter – Do you smoke crack or are you Will Folks?
Will, what little bit of horse crap dribble will you give us tomorrow? Will you post some more text messages that don’t mean crap or use another catch phrase like “inappropriate physical relationship” which doesn’t mean crap? Please man, we need for you to post some more crap tomorrow. We all need a good laugh as we watch your so called career burn in flames!!!
By libertarian May 26, 2010 at 4:04 pm
That is pretty weak. If you have the goods then spill it. Who drops a bombshell like this without having their ducks in a row with verifiable voicemails, emails, receipts, etc? Will Folks is just looking like a weak grandstander.
By Bobby Bouche' May 26, 2010 at 4:31 pm
Is this really the best that you have? Do you really intend to prove that you are not telling the truth by just saying “Well she didn’t sue me.”? Come on!! Willy is obviously lying. Nikki is right. He just has an overactive imagination. I often dream of being with Eva Mendes. But that doesn’t mean that I ever really had sex with her. Willy needs to quit dreaming.
By WTF? May 26, 2010 at 5:23 pm
Will’s statement, “improper physical relationship”…. means what? Is that libel, or an admission that he grabbed her ass and she said no. Could you sue for that? Sure… The more relevant question is could she win for that….? Under the standard for a public figure, it is real questionable, and probably not worth the trouble. After all, the hit dog yelps!!!
By looking closely May 26, 2010 at 5:28 pm
So silly.
Why on earth would Haley want to spend thousands of dollars out of her own pocket suing Will Folks (ie YOU), just to give him more press and attention, when he probably doesn’t even have personal assets worth recovering?
You gotta have a pot to pi$$ in before its worth suing you.
In terms of simple credibility, the burden of proof falls on the one making the extraordinary claim, and in the case of someone with shaky credibility (ie a former wife beater), the proof has to be that much the better.
In this case Folks is the one that needs to make his case. If *HE* wants to come out of this episode with any credibility, then HE is the one that needs to provide evidence to back up his claims, not Tyler.
Lawsuits don’t mean anything, and the lack of them, even less!
And for you “Simple (I’m Will Folks Sockpuppet) Pete”, you want to make it interesting?
By goofy gus May 26, 2010 at 7:14 pm
I admire the courage of this man to offer to help Ms. Haley and wish she would in fact address it more directly. Also, if she did stray, he is offering her the opportunity to acknowledge it BEFORE the election, let people chill and digest and very possibly STILL become the Repub Gov Nominee.
Hats off to SW and FITS for halving the courageousness to put it outthere
PLUS
by teasing us
well
you know how we all like having things in serial installments!
By trabster May 26, 2010 at 8:40 pm
shoot……. someone made a good point…….. how many rumored political affairs are not true?
By Robert Hagwood May 26, 2010 at 8:43 pm
Libel is also a crime in South Carolina. S.C. Code 16-7-150 states:
Any person who shall with malicious intent originate, utter, circulate or publish any false statement or matter concerning another the effect of which shall tend to injure such person in his character or reputation shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction therefor, be subject to punishment by fine not to exceed five thousand dollars or by imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year, or by both fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the court; provided, that nothing herein shall be construed to abridge any right any person may have by way of an action for damages for libel or slander under the existing law.
I’m sure that Mr. Folks and/or his legal counsel is well aware of this statute. Although I am not aware of anyone recent prosecutions under this statute, if Mr. Folks is making all of this up about his relationship I would expect that he could be arrested and criminally prosecuted.
Now – taking in account the prospect of a one year sentence in the South Carolina Department of Corrections (hello R&E at Broad River), does that indicate more or less credibility on behalf of Mr. Folks?
By Louis May 26, 2010 at 9:30 pm
After 4 days of all rumor and ZERO evidence of anything improper on Haley’s part, it is now clear that WF has NO evidence to support his wild accusation. This smear was clearly timed for maximum political impact.
By rb May 26, 2010 at 9:36 pm
Where I come from men don’t act the way Folks does. Seems to me he’s acting like a little girl who got dumped and has his heart broken. Now he’s looking for revenge. He’s a complete sleazeball. In reality Folks is either a liar or a snitch/rat…and nobody likes either one.
By Confederati May 27, 2010 at 8:19 am
I bet the in-house, internal catfights within the Tea Party sound a little bit like all of this. The Tea Party started out as a Ron Paul thing, with a huge $6 million donations bomb in one day, and now it’s been highjacked by DC RINOs. That’s what’s happened to every good conservative alternative for the last 100 years.
By Simple Pete May 27, 2010 at 8:20 am
Looking Closely,
I am not Will Folks. I am probably somebody that you’ve heard of, if you’re in GOP circles. I’ve dealt with the fallout from Folks’ posts plenty of times. I’ve learned that he is nearly always right.
Every politico in South Carolina that I’ve talked to thinks there is something to this, and most of us have heard these rumors for a while. Folks does not post things without a decent basis, because he doesn’t want to get sued. And trust me, there are plenty of lawyers that would take Haley’s case (if she’s in the right) for free. The discovery would be fun and the lawyer would get his or her name out bigtime. Plus, I guarantee you Haley could raise the money in no time for a legal assault on Folks even if she couldn’t find a free lawyer.
Also, you don’t understand the burdens in defamation cases. The burden is not on Folks to prove his claim true, the burden would be on Haley to prove it false. Truth is an affirmative defense. I can’t imagine you know what I’m talking about, because you seem like a dumbass, but maybe if you Google some of that you’ll see what I mean.
And I’m not clear what more hard evidence you need. B.J. Boling says that Nikki Haley told him she did it. That’s hard evidence, and it’s not hearsay. It’s clear that Tim Pearson was treating the stuff as legit in the texts. And Folks’ track record on these kinds of issues is spot-on; just ask Mark Sanford, Kelly Payne, and Richard Eckstrom if you don’t believe me.
By Lilly Collette May 27, 2010 at 8:33 am
I damn sure DO NOT believe Haley.
Summary judgment:
http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=3152975315662722042&q=s.c.,+summary+judgment&hl=en&as_sdt=2000000000002&as_vis=1
Matsushita Elec. Industrial Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 US 574 – Supreme Court 1986
[…]
The issue of fact must be “genuine.” Fed. Rules Civ. Proc. 56(c), (e). When the moving party has carried its burden under Rule 56(c),[12] its opponent must do more than simply show that there is some metaphysical doubt as to the material facts.
[…]
In the language of the Rule, the nonmoving party must come forward with “specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” Fed. Rule Civ. Proc. 56(e) (emphasis added). See also Advisory Committee Note to 1963 Amendment of Fed. Rule Civ. Proc. 56(e), 28 U. S. C. App., p. 626 (purpose of summary judgment is to “pierce the pleadings and to assess the proof in order to see whether there is a genuine need for trial”). Where the record taken as a whole could not lead a rational trier of fact to find for the non-moving party, there is no “genuine issue for trial.” Cities Service, supra, at 289.
[…]
That being the case, the absence of any plausible motive to engage in the conduct charged is highly relevant to whether a “genuine issue for trial” exists within the meaning of Rule 56(e). Lack of motive bears on the range of permissible conclusions that might be drawn from ambiguous evidence: if petitioners had no rational economic motive to conspire, and if their conduct is consistent with other, equally plausible explanations, 597*597 the conduct does not give rise to an inference of conspiracy. See Cities Service, supra, at 278-280.
[…]
By za May 27, 2010 at 12:21 pm
uh, Folks wasn’t “forced” to do anything. That claim is really laughable.
He’s just denying responsibility for what he CHOSE to do. Not surprising, coming from the party that gave us “personal responsibility” as a policy platform. Then continues to blame everyone else.
Christ, you people are hilarious.
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