Mere hours before S.C. Gov Nikki Haley was set to claim a major government transparency victory, former S.C. Democratic Party Chairman Dick Harpootlian tagged the scandal-plagued Republican with yet another example of hypocrisy on her “signature” issue.
Harpootlian – who is running for his old post in 2011 in part to “hold Haley accountable” – released an analysis of Haley’s campaign finance records showing that she has repeatedly failed to provide required occupational data for more than two-thirds of her itemized campaign contributions.
“Haley’s a hypocrite,” Harpootlian said in a statement accompanying the findings. “She wants new transparency laws, but she can’t be bothered to follow the ones we already have.”
State law requires political campaigns to report the name, address and occupation of their donors. That last requirement – which exists to help voters follow specific industries seeking to influence their elected officials – has presented a major problem for Haley.
According to Harpootlian’s analysis of her October 2010 campaign filing, occupational data for 2,094 of Haley’s 3,963 contributions were listed as “requested” – meaning that her campaign did not immediately provide the required data. Among larger-dollar donations that she was required to itemize – occupational data for 1,385 out of 2,036 contributions was listed as “requested.”
That’s a whopping 68 percent of Haley’s itemized contributions (i.e. contributions of $100 or more) that were non-compliant with state law.
Since winning the election in November, Haley’s failure to disclose this required campaign data has continued. Of 391 donors requiring itemization on her most recent ethics report, 262 of them (67 percent) featured “requested” occupational data.
By way of contrast, Haley’s 2010 opponent submitted the required information for almost all of his contributions. In fact, of S.C. Senator Vincent Sheheen’s 2,782 contributions that required itemization – only 31 of them (1.1 percent) referenced “requested” occupational data.
“If the Ethics Commission isn’t too busy investigating Lt. Gov. Ken Ard for his violations of the law, then they should get right on Haley’s case,” Harpootlian said. “Some called last fall a ‘Republican sweep.’ I call it a crime wave.”
Haley’s transparency problems are obviously nothing new. They first surfaced last May when she invoked a legislative exemption to keep her taxpayer-funded emails and public phone records private after she was accused of having an extramarital affair. Months later she conducted a Nixonian release of mostly spam emails – refusing to let the press have access to the vast majority of her taxpayer-funded correspondence or her government-funded computer hard drives.
She has yet to release any of this public information, incidentally.
Later in the race, Haley failed to disclose more than $40,000 in income that she received from a company with business before the state of South Carolina. This information was also left off of a controversial Lexington Medical Center job application that Haley – or a mysterious “phantom” – filled out in August of 2008.
Since taking office, Haley has continued to stumble badly on transparency issues – convening a secret meeting of S.C Budget and Control Board leaders that has been broadly-condemned as a flagrant violation of the state’s open meetings law. Her own budget panel has also met in secret. Additionally, Haley has conducted virtually no official business on her taxpayer-funded cell phone and email address, prompting speculation that she is using private emails and cell phones to evade the state’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) – something she criticized former Gov. Mark Sanford for doing.
To her credit, Haley has successfully pushed for expanded legislative transparency – something we praised her for just yesterday.
Unfortunately, these campaign finance problems represent the latest in a long line of examples of Haley refusing to apply the same standard to herself.
***
By OhNoNotAgain April 12, 2011 at 12:10 am
Oh SNAP!
Having him back in the game makes it something worth watching.
By jim lewis April 12, 2011 at 12:14 am
In an earlier article Lord Nathan Ballentine labeled South Carolina as not being “polished” enough to appreciate Romney and that South Carolina‘s style of politics has not evolved beyond the “street level” (i.e. gutter).
Given this accurate and surprisingly candid assessment by Ballentine is there any doubt that Gypsy Queen Dooh Nibor and most, if not all, elected officials don’t know where their money comes from. Hookers and Pimps will tell you the same thing.
Even though I have no personal experience, I have been told you can get more bang for your buck from the Legislators on Two Notch than those at the State House.
By cash April 12, 2011 at 3:53 am
Per the SC Secretary of State’s office, in the third quarter of 2010, the family business, Exotica Int’l, was desolved by the the SC Dept. of Revenue. Wow. They have since, Feb, 2011, been reinstated. More wow.
By cash April 12, 2011 at 4:10 am
Sorry, dissolved by Dept. of Revenue. Bad spelling.
By Just another Joe April 12, 2011 at 5:04 am
“Some called last fall a ‘Republican sweep.’ I call it a crime wave.” 2012 looks to be an interesting year in SC politics.
By cash April 12, 2011 at 5:18 am
I mean, just who gets their company dissolved by dept. of revenue? Nimrata said she was their accountant. Can you imagine just how MANY calls and certified letters, ect, that must have been ignored? Bunches! It takes a special kind of person to just ignore the government. Anybody heard from the first “dude”?
By Pearl April 12, 2011 at 6:17 am
Having Harpo back is great. The GOP needs to be kept honest and he is just the guy to do it!
Maybe he will put his efforts into studying Haley’s outrageous use of other people’s jets, planes, limousines, ocean front homes, etc. She regularly does not report on this, and if she does she under-values their cost. Both actions are illegal.
By Maxwell April 12, 2011 at 6:41 am
Hey, sic Harpo on Rhodes too. He can harpoon nookie and rhoodie at the same time.
By Old Bike Dude April 12, 2011 at 7:42 am
Don’t blame me I voted for Vince.
By stimulus April 12, 2011 at 7:53 am
she is a stupid ugly bitch!
By Rijiv April 12, 2011 at 9:31 am
Yes, indeed stimulus!!!!
By Maxwell April 12, 2011 at 9:45 am
Fits, get on the stick. Boz and Rhondes are going rumble. You need the exclusive right here. Be the outlet to CNN.
By cash April 12, 2011 at 9:46 am
Which is worse…the severe acne scars or the tree trunk Hillary C. legs?
By cash April 12, 2011 at 10:03 am
Love the look…two rings on one hand. So 1980′s.
By Carson April 12, 2011 at 10:17 am
One must keep scrubbing government as if it were glass.
It tends to get and stay dirty.
Keep up the good work, Dick.
By fitsnews April 12, 2011 at 10:28 am
Cash-
For the record they are not “tree trunk Hillary C. legs.”
We have plenty of bad things to say about Haley, but there is no denying that she’s got nice stems.
-W
By smokey April 12, 2011 at 10:44 am
Nikki was at the Greater Lexington Chamber Breakfast this morning.
and I quote “Michael and I are fine, he wishes he was here, he is busy in his uniform getting things done. The kids are enjoying the mansion, but nothing has changed we’re fine.” Then she gave out her first Order of the Palmetto to a local Lexington guy. Of course Lexington Chambers Diamond sponsor……Lexington Medical Center……..
By Prince Poppycock April 12, 2011 at 10:58 am
Personally, I would concentrate on her two front teeth.
By Prince Poppycock April 12, 2011 at 11:01 am
Wait Will, let’s be a tad for real for a moment. The stems are a very generous average. Too short and undefined to be anything better.
By cash April 12, 2011 at 11:24 am
Yes, Prince. When it comes to legs, and short skirts, definition is a must.
By Rijiv April 12, 2011 at 11:24 am
Yes, indeed, you are a very perceptive OWB. If the Gypsy Queen Dooh Nibor was not so loose in her ways…….she would have noticed the tens of thousands of dollars that Mitt put in her moneymaker.
By Dean April 12, 2011 at 11:33 am
Yes, absolutely gorgeous legs…look forward to reading about them in Sic’s book.
By Prince Poppycock April 12, 2011 at 11:41 am
The calves are not toned. This forces the knees to buckle while wearing high heels, pooching out the bubble butt in a unsettling “cat in heat” display.
By Prince Poppycock April 12, 2011 at 11:43 am
Dear Boy, Sic is strictly a snatch man.
By cash April 12, 2011 at 12:08 pm
Heartbreakers is a topless “gentlemen’s” club in Columbia. I have heard wild tales about their VIP room. Apparently what happens there does not stay there.
Pingback: Harpo Tags Nikki Haley On Campaign Finance Secrecy … | Your Financial Affairs
By Rapture April 12, 2011 at 1:00 pm
I wonder if Nikki has been there?
By Wilber Force April 12, 2011 at 1:16 pm
Where has Harpootlian been??? And why isn’t he sending out FOIA requests to Lexington Medical CEO Biediger on:
1.Why did Biediger on December 09,2008 at 10:49 AM send Haley an email with only the link to all active OBGYN’s associated with Lex Med?
2.Did Biediger or someone else conduct the in person job interview with Haley and was her current employment/salery discussed including employment with Wilber Smith?
3. Did Biediger know Haley was working for Smith while interviewing and working for the Hospital?Did the Board know this?
4.Do the minutes of the meetings of the State Health Plan Committee (under DHEC) indicate what guests/elected officials were presentduring Haley’s time at LMC?
5.What did Biediger mean in the 5/13/10 email to LMC Board member Thad Westbrook when he wrote:
FYI…Nikki Haley “officially”informed me this morning that she plans to announce by the end of this week that she will be a candidate for Governor.
Kathy Howell and I are still trying to figure out a reasonable and defendable arrangement for her during the campaign”
6.Did Biediger continue to pay Haley her same $110,000 salery even after she began her new “job” of running for Governor?
7.Is there any correspondence between Biediger and Board members or just between Board members regarding the Haley hire/tenure/salery/release/severence?
8.Where are the list of donors to the Foundation during Haley’s time there and are any lobbyist’s principals who had business before her or her Committee???How much money did they give???
By Wanda April 12, 2011 at 1:27 pm
I squeeze ‘em like this till the juice flows.
By Rapture April 12, 2011 at 1:31 pm
Wilber – Excellent!!!
By Prince Poppycock April 12, 2011 at 1:33 pm
Watcha squeezing Wanda???
By cash April 12, 2011 at 2:58 pm
Wilber, are you the owner of some damning info? I feel that you are. Maybe Wilber of Wilber Smith?
By Popeye April 12, 2011 at 3:23 pm
Nooooooooo, the Wilber of Wilber Smith might have banged Nikki, but not the one above.
By Wilber Force April 12, 2011 at 3:42 pm
Cash,
I know this,I believe we’re asking the right questions,especially about lobbyists and their principal’s donations!
By cash April 12, 2011 at 3:48 pm
There are always strings attached, always. Tit for tat.
By Pete Williams April 12, 2011 at 3:49 pm
As much as Nikki likes Dick, she may find this “Dick” a little more troublesome than most. He is smart, savvy, and knows where all the bodies are buried. Look out Nikki and Timmy !
By Popeye April 12, 2011 at 4:09 pm
Soooooo…..Pete. This is a firm dick? With a full load? And tons of recoil? Great aim? No turning back?
By Popeye April 12, 2011 at 4:10 pm
Now what is this about Timmy? He’s not man enough for Dick?
By Madoff April 12, 2011 at 6:00 pm
Lemons. She’s squeezing four lemons.
By Scooter April 12, 2011 at 7:50 pm
Go get her!!! Maybe she will be less likely to lie straight faced. Hoot. Bring on the truth.
By cash April 13, 2011 at 10:02 am
Git er dun!
By OhNoNotAgain April 14, 2011 at 10:27 am
Did you miss Harpo’s new video?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSEaJ026LSk
Great stuff.