By fitsnews – March 28, 2011
S.C. Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom and his estranged wife, Peggy, will appear before a Lexington County, S.C. family court judge on Thursday morning for a hearing related to their pending divorce.
Both Eckstroms will appear before judge Kellum W. Allen, according to a public docket posted on the Lexington County web site.
Eckstrom has been separated from his wife for nearly two years, during which time his on-again, off-again relationship with former Republican Superintendent of Education candidate Kelly Payne has made repeated news.
FITS first broke the story of Payne and Eckstrom’s relationship last February (complete with private texts and emails). At that point, both were candidates for statewide office. Both acknowledged the illicit relationship, but indicated that it was over.
Payne went on to finish third in the GOP primary for State Superintendent of Education, while Eckstrom easily won reelection as the state’s Comptroller General.
Last October, we learned that Payne and Eckstrom were back together. Of course within weeks of reuniting they became embroiled in yet another public soap opera – this one ending with Payne filing a police report against Eckstrom.
Eckstrom’s relationship with Payne was the subject of a Democratic TV ad during the 2010 election … as was a 1997 sexual harassment case that the Comptroller settled with $57,000 of your tax dollars (here are a pair of pictures of the woman that Eckstrom allegedly harassed, in case you’re interested).
As recently as mid-January, though, Payne and Eckstrom were together again. In fact, they were introduced as a couple at S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley’s inaugural ball on January 12.
Sources tell FITS that Payne and Eckstrom haven’t seen each other in over a month – and that Eckstrom may be romantically involved with as many as two other women.
Of course he is, per his own assessment, a “fine specimen.”
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