S.C. Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom’s 1997 sexual harassment settlement and his ongoing extramarital affair are both prominently featured in a hard-hitting new television ad by his Democratic opponent, Robert Barber. Of course the ad is just the beginning of the incumbent Republican’s problems. Specifically, it’s what was not included in the ad that could end up destroying – or at the very least seriously damaging – the 62-year-old’s political career.
Released on Thursday, Barber’s ad slams Eckstrom for spending $57,000 in taxpayer funds to settle a sexual harassment suit filed against him over a decade ago while he was serving as State Treasurer.
“Incumbent Comptroller Richard Eckstrom’s job is to protect our money, but Eckstrom spent over $57,000 taxpayer dollars to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit against him,” the ad’s narrator says.
The ad then blasts Eckstrom for allegedly using taxpayer resources to advance his extramarital affair with former Republican State Superintendent candidate, Kelly Payne.
“Eckstrom used state cell phones and computers to send sexually-explicit text messages and emails to his mistress in an extramarital affair,” the ad’s narrator continues.
Here’s the spot:
Harsh, huh?
Eckstrom is married, but has reportedly been separated from his wife for some time. Payne is divorced.
FITS first broke the news of Eckstrom-Payne affair back in February after the comptroller general acknowledged his authorship of one of the sexually-explicit emails to Payne. Beyond the sexual remarks, Eckstrom’s emails and texts to Payne also revealed a lovestruck suitor with strong emotions running hot and cold.
“If I were ever able to get to the point of choking off the intense feelings I have for you, maybe I could manage my heart a little more to your liking,” Eckstrom wrote Payne in one email. “But that heart then would be a lot smaller than the one that’s now thumping inside me, and besides, you probably wouldn’t care much for a dishonest heart that would need to try to manage our relationship by attempting to convinced itself that it’s not that strongly attracted and attached to you. And that heart would have a low survival rate because it would kill it to have to give up on the beautiful ideal it’s sought its entire life.”
In other messages, Eckstrom’s tone is substantially less heartfelt. In one message he rips into Payne as “wacked-out and irrational” and tells her to “get past that freaking passive aggression.”
“Don’t be such a freaking narcissist,” Eckstrom wrote Payne in one message.
(To read Eckstrom’s messages, click here).
Earlier this month, we reported on Eckstrom and Payne’s decision to get back together – news that surprised us given the obvious volatility of their relationship. When contacted by FITS for that story, Eckstrom’s office denied that he and Payne were an item again – despite the fact that the pair had just returned from a long trip together.
In fact, Eckstrom snapped this picture of Payne during their October 3 swing through Chester, Fairfield, Laurens and Newberry Counties … one of literally hundreds of pictures he’s taken of her on dozens of similar trips.
(Click to enlarge)
Despite warnings from her friends, Payne says she continued to see Eckstrom because she believed they were truly in love and that his “Jekyll and Hyde” personality was something they could work on together. Also, Eckstrom had agreed to assist Payne in one of several projects that she is working on to benefit schools in rural areas of the state.
“She thought she could change him,” one of Payne’s friends told FITS. “Now she knows she can’t.”
Earlier this summer, we spoke with Payne regarding an alleged incident in which she claims Eckstrom cursed her wildly and threw a garage door opener at her – although Payne declined to go on the record (or report the incident to the authorities) at the time because she says she feared retribution. She did agree to let us reference that incident, however, and said that she has text messages documenting increasingly irrational behavior on Eckstrom’s part.
Asked if that behavior included threats against her physical well-being, Payne said “yes.”
“He’s bullied me through threats and intimidation,” Payne said, adding that she and a friend were both in possession of electronic messages that would document specific threats.
Payne also confirmed to FITS that she is “taking measures” to ensure her safety, but did not elaborate as to what those measures might include. Another of her close friends says that she is seeking an order of protection against Eckstrom that would prohibit him from contacting her or coming within a specified distance of her.
A spokesman for Eckstrom vigorously protested Payne’s allegations.
“We wholeheartedly deny these charges,” said Eckstrom aide R.J. Shealy, referring to the allegations of threatening behavior as “figments of (Payne)’s imagination.”
“It simply never happened,” Shealy said, claiming that “no such (threatening) messages exist.”
Shealy added that Payne has been sending Eckstrom text messages as recently as this morning, messages that Eckstrom has not responded to.
Meanwhile, one of Eckstrom’s supporters who spoke with FITS on the condition of anonymity said that Payne had been contacting the Comptroller General and asking him for money in recent weeks.
An award-winning social studies teacher at Dutch Fork High School, Payne has turned her classroom into the state’s preeminent forum for political talk – hosting dozens of public officials including Gov. Mark Sanford, Rep. Nikki Haley, Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, Speaker Bobby Harrell and Superintendent Jim Rex. She’s also welcomed top reporters like Jim Davenport of the AP and John O’Connor of The (Columbia, S.C.) State newspaper.
Payne has never attempted to inject her own conservative beliefs into the classroom – inviting an ideologically-diverse group of guests and letting her students form their own opinions about them. Payne then encourages her students to volunteer on behalf of candidates they support.
Eckstrom, for his part, is one of the few fiscal conservatives in state government as well as a leader in the movement for greater government transparency. Ideologically, he’s everything that taxpayers could ask for in a public official, however if these allegations are true it would raise some serious questions about his judgment.
***
By Benzo October 22, 2010 at 10:07 am
When can we expect the nude pics of Kelly to emerge?
By Uffizi October 22, 2010 at 10:10 am
What a pity. Eckstrom is a nice guy, but gets separated, emotional and — lord forbid — falls in love with a gorgeous chick. Great reasons for us to replace his excellent work with that of an unknown.
I believe Barber’s cost management experience is operating a small fish restaurant with four employees that burned down 15 years ago.
I’ll take the known emotional Eckstrom over the opportunistic and inexperienced Barber any day.
By Stinkbait October 22, 2010 at 10:16 am
“… would raise some serious questions about his judgement”?! Gawdamightydamn, Will, didn’t his extended family vacation in a state owned minivan do that for you years ago? Arrogance, poor judgement, stupidity… call it what you will; he’s a fruitcake & didn’t just get that way.
By bogart October 22, 2010 at 10:28 am
Kelly Payne had pictures of herself with Eckstrom all over her facebook page How could she not fall in love with him after all that talk about his heart.Don’t forget all that heart talk from Sanford made Belen Chapur melt.Wonder if Sanford and Eckstrom ever double.Did anyone ever find out who the woman was in SC that Sanford was having a thing with.JS wrote about her in her book,but didn’t give a name?
By Patrick October 22, 2010 at 10:44 am
So Haley says being an accountant is how she knows how to stretch a dollar and Eckstrom is the real deal, an actual CPA. So we can conclude that Haley is also a sex starved cheating spouse, lying piece of garbage. She’s just not certified at it like Eckstrom.
By Gillon October 22, 2010 at 10:55 am
And “Uffizi”, I guess in past elections you also took the adulterous, self-absorbed Mark Sanford over his opponents, the cocaine-sniffing Thomas Ravenel over his, the bribe-taking Charles Sharpe over his, and will also take the lying, money-driven Nikki Haley over her opponent. What ever happened to character as a qualification for office, or is the “R” by their name on the ballot reason enough?
By John October 22, 2010 at 10:56 am
Robert Barber. Lobbyist for Cock Fighting. Restaurant burned after he took extra debt…about 4 years ago, not 9.
He is a very liberal, Obama suporter. he is nasty man that attacked Andre in the same way. He lost then and he will lose again. The people are tired of nasty old white men.
By ChasTown October 22, 2010 at 11:33 am
Didn’t this sort of drivel end up helping Haley in the primary and run-off? Maybe this will be good for Eckstrom too. The whole thing is hearsay until there is proof.
By Convenient October 22, 2010 at 11:57 am
Everyone keeps spouting this “buy American” mantra and put your state on your plate idea. Well Bravo to Eckstrom – Sanford goes all the way to South America for a mistress, but Ecky boy is willing to get his mistress(es) home grown in S.C. Finally a politician who cheats on his spouse true to his word with an S.C. woman.
Bravo Eckstrom! By the way, about this bullshit about how it (the affair) all started AFTER he split from his wife – note how far back their e-mails/texts went, and you will note that this affair is more likely what STARTED the split up of the Eckstrom marriage and not an after thought.
By Billy October 22, 2010 at 12:12 pm
Robert Barber raises his ugly mug every 4 years, spews trash talk, gets defeated, goes home and lays low…then comes back and does the same thing again.
Maybe this time he will stay away for good.
By Lewis October 22, 2010 at 12:20 pm
Lewis: I had just told my wife this morning that I am tired of the political ads. Then this jaw dropper aired. Wow. The next two weeks could really be fun if this is a sample of the ads coming down the stretch.
By sclawboy October 22, 2010 at 12:30 pm
I’d hit that.
Apparently so would Eckstrom. Both literally and figuratively, I guess.
By Charlie Speight October 22, 2010 at 12:59 pm
WELL, I saw Sandy KISSING Bobby after third period which is SO OMG since she’s supposed to be going steady with Ricky. Besides I KNOW Bobby asked Brandy to go to the Halloween party with him and HE told Adam that hen thought Sandy was, you know, like all trampy and stuff.
By Soft Sigh from Hell October 22, 2010 at 1:22 pm
She sounds like a good teacher. Imagine, evaluate the evidence and make up your own mind. How did that get into a conservative state’s classroom? But other than that it doesn’t sounds like she’s done anything too bizarre. I hope all this doesn’t sidetrack her career.
By Darth October 22, 2010 at 1:36 pm
Let me see, that’s Mr. Forget my cockfighting background Robert Barber? Wonder how soon the family resturant burns down again after being insured?
By Oh Boy October 22, 2010 at 2:01 pm
So according to Sen. Demint, would she have to quit teaching???
By Over Yonder October 22, 2010 at 2:04 pm
Gillon – while you’re naming names, don’t leave out former Lt Gov Bob Peeler, who was screwing his neighbor’s wife, Donna Gulledge. Both marriages broke up, she lost custody of her children and her husband unfairly lost his job when Peeler used SLED to pressure his employer. Bob’s experience in the dairy biz apparently served him well: he’s never married Gulledge. After all, why buy the cow when you’re getting the milk for free? Note to cheaters: if you’re going to screw thy neighbors wife, don’t do it in your bright red pickup truck in full view of others, like…in a Piggly Wiggly parking lot.
By dr genesis October 22, 2010 at 2:20 pm
Vote this guy out of office. Save his fine family further humiliation.
By Skidmarks October 22, 2010 at 3:06 pm
“…During their October 3 swing through Chester, Fairfield, Laurens and Newberry Counties….”
Lawd, that boy sho’ does know how to romance a gal.
By bottomline October 22, 2010 at 3:26 pm
Both of them are nut jobs. They obviously thrive off of the attention and drama of it all. Sounds like a match made in heaven…
By dean October 22, 2010 at 5:07 pm
Did you change your mind about Eckstrom at some point in the last few years? Isn’t the fact that taxpayer money had to be used to pay off his sexual harassment of a state employee both the worst and the least disputable accusation against him?
Maybe my memory is faulty, but I got the impression you didn’t take it too kindly when the subject of that suit was brought up on your site in times past. Now you question his judgement? What’s changed, the fact that he’s engaging in a peculiar affair? Is that worse judgement than sexually harassing his own subordinate?
By WorkingTommyC October 22, 2010 at 8:09 pm
So what’s the deal?
Is Eckstrom the next member of the B&CB that is being targeted?
By Billy October 22, 2010 at 10:01 pm
Eckstrom does a great job as Comptroller General and a member of the board.This noise will not matter.
And Barber is still a mean old fart.
By Recovering Lobbyist October 23, 2010 at 12:11 pm
Charlie Speight summed up this whole story in a very creative way. Will, you are the meddling girl friend wannabe spreading rumors about another girl who is dating the boy you want to date. I fail to see how the personal lives of two consenting adults, in this instance, is any of our business. The 15-year-old sexual harassment story is old news and makes a very poor hook for reporting this story. This is the kind of stuff that gives bloggers a bad rap.
By Groundball October 23, 2010 at 1:50 pm
Eckstrom is a self absorbed turd. You can polish him up any way you want, but the inside remains the same. And poor Kelly … she’s been engaged what …. at least 3 times in the last 5 years? Last week her FB page had a picture of her and Eckstrom hugged up and yesterday a picture of her and Haley. She is always an opportunist, both in love and politics.
By Shlomo October 23, 2010 at 3:18 pm
Yep, nothing says “I love you” like a restraining order.
By Commonman October 23, 2010 at 3:36 pm
I am just happy it is a with a member of the opposite sex. And she is attractive and I assume he must have some hidden talents which are equally attractive to her. Young lust will over come all. I would imagine the Budget and Control Board Insurance Reserve Fund is more than capable of handing out any settlements for their members if and when it becomes necessary. Has been done before. Seems to keep the top administration well entrenched. After all, the 6th floor of the Wade Hampton runs the Board. Just look at the consideration that was shown Sanford, the only Chairman who was never able to name his own Board Director. Has to be a little humiliating.
By This is it!!!!!!!!!!! October 23, 2010 at 9:07 pm
Well, are they expected to cry and quote the Bible like that horrible Sanford. And still in office and does not care. Trash.
By Groundball October 24, 2010 at 9:52 pm
What’s scary is that these candidates do not even have control over their personal lives yet feel we should trust them to lead us to prosperity. And speaking of this photo, what was the purpose of their trip throughout the state …. so they could take pictures of Kelly in front of every school …. her political career (as a candidate that is) is over. She does seem, however, to be trying her best to get some kind of appointment if Haley or Zais is elected.
By Humble Heart October 25, 2010 at 9:13 am
Groundball, the “It Kids” Outreach program belongs to children all across the state. Education shouldn’t be about politics and children shouldn’t be used as pawns in the political game of chess. Since when is it a bad thing to visit schools, speak to community members, or be committed to the cause of helping students across our state? Remember the documentary Corridor of Shame? It was produced to show people the inequities that still exist throughout our state. The main difference between what Payne and Ferillo are doing has to do with money. Ferillo marketed the documentary for a profit. Payne is doing research for her mentoring program and tracking what’s happened to the SC Equalization Schools helping a friend that works at the SC Historical Society. It’s not unusual for educators to be creative, or have a heart of children. Ms. Haley doesn’t appear to be currently focused on public education, just like Sanford wasn’t. You can scratch that option off the list. Zais will make an excellent Superintendent of Education. Whether he offers Payne or anyone else a job is insignificant at this point. And so what if he did. Wouldn’t you want someone who is where the rubber meets the road, in touch with the reality of what’s going on in our state? At least someone is out there talking to parents, children, and the community on their own dime and time. Strom Thurmond once said, ever lawyer should run for office and lose. Much for good can be done for public education once you have a support base across the state. Thank you for your time.