Powerful S.C. State Rep. Chip Limehouse (RINO-Charleston) is being investigated by the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) over “aviation contract issues” tied to his seat on the board of the Charleston International Airport.
Sources at the airport – and at SLED – have confirmed the investigation to FITS.
Limehouse – who was trounced in his bid for the U.S. Congress earlier this year – is accused of pushing contracts between the airport and “companies he was purportedly tied to,” a source familiar with the probe tells FITS.
We’re also told former airport director Sue Stevens – who resigned her post citing “verbal abuse” and “disrespectful behavior” from Limehouse and another member of the board – took excellent notes regarding the corruption.
Limehouse – who is no stranger to self-serving behavior with public funds – tried to run the airport himself after Stevens’ resignation, but he came up one vote short. That outcome surprised many seeing as the rotund “Republican in Name Only” had been stacking the airport board with several of his cronies – including disgraced judge Larry Richter, former U.S. Rep. Tommy Hartnett and establishment “Republican” gadfly Mallory Factor.
The board eventually offered the $211,000 a year post to another fiscally liberal Lowcountry lawmaker – S.C. Sen. Paul Campbell (RINO-Berkeley).
Limehouse isn’t the only fiscally liberal “Republican” from Charleston under investigation by SLED. His boss Bobby Harrell (RINO-Charleston) has been under a SLED probe since February for a wide range of alleged offenses.
Frankly, the two of them deserve to wind up as cellmates given the extent to which they’ve padded their own pockets at the expense of the taxpayers and the public trust … but we’re not holding our breath that’s going to happen.
35 comments
Just one more fat, rich privileged asshole getting rich off the ignorance of his electorate. And the taxpayers. When will voters ever learn?
AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Has SLED handled anything of significance since Keel took over? Nothing with Lex County, Nothing with Jean Toal when they had her cold, nothing on Horry County, nothing on Chesterfield…..
I agree. Im betting they do nothing
Robert Ford, a black Senator, is where I see these titans of law and ethics “protecting” the good people of Carolina.
They will never put one of their own behind bars.
So Will…. SLED will get to his investigation as soon as it wraps up the Horry county probe….Sen Larry martin probe….speaker bobby Harrel probe……mayor Steve Benjamin probe? I’m so lost…..wow…lots of “probes”?!
Staff and patrons at Saffron Cafe & Bakery where Limehouse eats breakfast say he “often orders three” high-calorie monster meals.
http://eatatsaffron.com/the-cafe/breakfast/.
Our guess is 7,000 calories.
He’s like J.P. Morgan’s corrupt “London Whale” — only he’s ours.
J.P. Morgan will pay $920 million in a “global settlement” for its unlawful “whale” behavior.
Will “our” 390 pound whale ever pay for his unlawful behavior?
What about that other crooked legislator — Bobby Harrell and his “prescription drug bundling” scam?
SLED has lost much credibility since Reggie Lloyd quit for not obeying Nikki Haley’s unethical commands / witch hunts.
I consider SLED a discredited agency until it starts acting like the Securities & Exchange Commission and providing prosecutors with actionable evidence.
Excellent ….excellent example of informational counter PSYOPS…/!!!
BRAVO…!!!
We highly wager that Lin Bennett is crossing some names off of her “Seat” list..!!
We also wonder how Sue Stevens will network this article to make sure the “Summit Club” waiters offer a quick link to certain patrons…!!
So is every Republican who isn’t an extremist a “RINO”? Not that Limehouse is innocent; but maybe y’all should stop calling yourselves “Republicans” …
Those that you reference are Libertarians and are not Republicans. They should come out of the closet and stop pretending to be Republicans.
When will you people get it??????
The SLED, Attorney General, Ethics Commission etc, investigations are designed to CLEAR people, not put them in jail. This is how it works:
When the heat gets turned up by media, citizens or local law enforcement, SLED, AG, etc “take over.” They stall, they complicate, they pretend to investigate, then they quietly clear. So the public generally forgets aout the issues and the person under investigation can then say he has been cleared. During that time campaign contributions flow to Attorney General, Governor, etc and so all involved are taken care of in one way or another.
Corruption has a long history in SC and it is. Not about to stop now.
You obviously know things like I do.
Been watching it for years. Really, once you know the game it is so simple.
I saw A former AG pocket a cool 50 G’s in a couple of month from upstate lawyers once from a scam just like this.
Different day, same story. Small minds, large ego pols running the state into the ground and making a handsome living at the same time.
But but he’s got the R. He can’t do wrong if he’s got the R. It’s like a vaccine only better.
Okay, Fitsnews nation peeps: All these comments about the fact that SLED does nothing to the rich and politically powerful is going to do nothing but get Keel riled up. He’s going to order some financially exhausted little guys who don’t have the money to fight to get publically strung up. He’s call WIS and The State and they’ll go running. They’ll only indict those little foot soldiers who don’t have the connections to get a pass from the people who pull his strings. I have as much faith in SLED as I do the Columbia PD.
I laugh out loud every time I read a headline that begin with “being investigated by SLED”. What a joke!
The only thing SLED is investigating is Krispy Kreme, and ironically, so is Limehouse.
SLED = Stop, Let’s Eat Donuts
Is SLED probing Glenn Reese too?
How do you make Limehouse not want to take a gubmint job? Replace the comfy leather chair and lavish wood desk with the desk that Al Roker uses:
http://www.businessinsider.com/al-rokers-strict-diet-and-exercise-regimen-to-maintain-his-130-pound-weight-loss-2013-1
Sorry Chip! We knew this day might come. I told you that the run for the congessional seat was a huge mistake. You never listen! Now you are of no use to me. You will be unable to keep your house seat, Hell, you coudlnt even muster the support of your hand picked board to get the airport job.
Do you realize the damage that you have done? Do you realize what I had to do to get Leatherman to serve up Sen. Ford on ethics violations to get some heat off our ass? Apparently not! When we need to keep a low profile, you decide that you want to run a fucking airport! Really Chip? Did you think you could just run the director off and she was not going to tell where the bodies were buried?
You better not mention my name to SLED. If you want me to have any control over this what so ever you need to keep your mouth shut. I can push a few buttons and make sure you don’t go to prison, but if you rat me out were both done.
I think I can contain this, but only if you keep quiet. This is going to end with you resigning your house seat. I want you to go to your daddy’s plantation and not show your face until you hear from me. (which reminds me, are we shooting doves Saturday afternoon still?)
Send my best regards to your father.
Your friend, Bobby
Bobby, Sorry I screwed up! But lookit, Ford hasn’t been indicted, and he’s a black democrat for christ sake! SLED and Wilson won’t screw with me — I’m a white republican! Chill out! Your friend, Chip. PS: Will you send me donuts if things go badly for me?
Chip are you really that stupid? You remember me telling you that it was worked out with SLED? No indictments if Ford resigned….Remember we could then use Ford as a example of how we can police ourselves and need no new ethics laws?…It’s gonna be the same deal for you. Just don’t panic, I have this all under control. Just keep your mouth shut and this will all go away. Let everything die down and I will appoint you to the the lottery commission or something. Don’t forget……..Don’t mention my name! If I get busted were all fucked!
And yes I will have someone bring you donuts
All of you calm down. I have this under control. I know in your hearts you are really old time Democrats like me. You continue supporting me and I will take care of you. I still have good loyal support at SLED. Than you Hugh for your love and support. Just shut up, friends, and we will be fine.
This is good stuff, here.
The Chipster is going to eat SLED’s lunch. Actually, every SLED investigator’s lunch. And their desserts too. Then go hit the buffet line again.
My understanding is that he told the last investigating agent “Get in my belly!”
What do you expect from a guy who took seven years to graduate from the Citadel? You expect him to get a regular job? No, he’s been working for Limehouse Properties — his daddy’s company — since graduation. LP is not doing well and Chip needs another employer. His high-profile burning-at-the-stake of the airport’s executive director was a bridge too far. I look forward to SLED’s report; I believe he may be, legally, toast.
If Trikkki Nikki was not in handcuffs either by SLED or the FBI or IRS, then I doubt this dumb sumbitch is. Call me when he’s indicted. You want a real investigation, let’s go back to the Lost Trust days. Working at the State House during and after that period of time was a real education in money, politics, crime and ethics.
http://www.russellguerard.com
It will break that SC House Speaker Bobby Harrell’s people are working in the shadows to protect fat boy Chip. SLED? Pffff!!!! Come on , now … Get real …. SLED is nothing but a “do boy” agency that will “do” and say what it is told to. If federal agents from outside the state of South Carolina are spying on them all (which I believe they are), even agents for SLED can end up going to prison with many of these tyrants in South Carolina state government. Chip will rat them all out in attempts to strike a deal if they start hinting around about prison time for him.
Believe it, peopl…. Nothing will happen to Chip – unless, of course, federal agents from outside this state start work with a federal prosecutor, also from outside this state. I know how these people operation in our government. Seen it. Experienced it. Documented it, and dozens have evidence to prove it.
And nothing will happen to Myrtle Beach Mafia and their contributions scandal, or Reynolds Williams and the Investment Board scandal or the DDSN funding scandal (that caused a suicide) or the Bobby Harrell affair, or the, well, you get the point
Until we have an active Federal prosecutor we will have no change in the corrupt nature of our government. Our state officials simply will do nothing.
“The Feds are not interested in our local politics here.” Reggie Lloyd. April, 2013.
Slimehouse fits right in. It’s not like he is notorious or out of character with his cohorts. These–he and his like–are what we keep electing and reelecting. Who really is to blame here? Who are the real saps? Who, at the very least, are the enablers?
The Post and Courier
SLED investigating Charleston airport board after director’s resignation
By Warren L. Wise
Posted: Tuesday, September 24, 2013 12:01 a.m.
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The State Law Enforcement Division has launched an investigation into the Charleston County Aviation Authority after the former director suddenly resigned in July, SLED confirmed Monday.
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“We received a request, and we are conducting an investigation,” SLED spokesman Thom Berry said.
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He declined to detail the specifics of the probe, but Aviation Authority Chairman Andy Savage said he forwarded the resignation letter of outgoing Airports Director Sue Stevens to SLED.
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“I provided them with the allegations that she made,” said Savage, who added that he had been contacted by SLED to confirm that the probe was underway.
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In her five-page letter of resignation July 23, obtained by The Post and Courier in August after the Aviation Authority refused to release it, Stevens wrote,
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“After one board meeting, I found a check for $1,000 made payable to his (former Aviation Authority chairman Chip Limehouse’s) campaign fund in a folder along with a company brochure providing information about the construction management firm. The board later voted to give work to this particular company.”
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She did not name the firm that wrote the check or say when the incident occurred.
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Limehouse, who remains a member of the airport board, but since January has sent a proxy to represent him at meetings, said Monday he wasn’t aware of the investigation and has not been contacted by SLED. He said he isn’t sure who made the contribution to his campaign, but that it is not unusual for him to receive donations all the time.
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“Even if it was a contractor, a person is entitled to make a campaign contribution,” he said.
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“There has to be a quid pro quo (somebody getting something in return for the donation for it to be illegal). To my knowledge, no one at the airport ever took any contributions from anybody related to receiving a contract. That’s just totally fabricated, totally made up, totally untrue. She makes all of these allegations all the time and never puts any specifics behind them. It’s hard to respond when you don’t know what she is talking about.”
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Limehouse said the check wound up in a folder at the airport because he had it in his coat pocket, then stuck it in the folder.
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He couldn’t say when it was handed to him, whether at an airport board meeting or before he got there.
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“What difference does that make?” he said. “At the end of the day, the investigation is not going to find any wrongdoing with any airport officials, past or present. It’s much ado about nothing.”
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Stevens also alleged in her letter that a former airport board member received a contract to perform management services for the firm overseeing the $189 million overhaul of Charleston International Airport, then left his partnership with that firm so he could start bidding on construction projects related to the terminal makeover.
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She did not name the former board member.
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“When I have objected to these improper and unethical actions, I have been treated rudely and condescendingly in public,” she wrote.
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At one point, she said Limehouse told her that if she couldn’t handle the job he would find someone who could.
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The rest of Stevens’ resignation letter dealt with her accomplishments over the past 26 years as an employee of the Aviation Authority and director since 2006, and her perceived ill treatment by some board members who she said asked for job favors for friends and relatives.
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Stevens’ attorney, Nancy Bloodgood, confirmed Monday that SLED contacted Stevens last week but that the former director would not be able to meet with them until after Oct. 7 because she is out of town.
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Limehouse claims Stevens grew disgruntled last year when he spurned her request for a raise and a contract because he believes public employees should serve at will.
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In Stevens’ letter, she is seeking “a fair severance” or is threatening legal action against the all-male board, some of whom she said belittled her because she is a woman.
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“It’s in her interests to stir up as much trouble as she can,” Limehouse said Monday. “If she can muddy up airport officials enough, she can scare them into giving her a severance package. I hope they don’t fall for it.”
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After Stevens stepped down from her $211,000-a-year job directing Charleston County’s three airports, the 13-member airport board voted 8-5 in August to give the job to state Sen. Paul Campbell, a Goose Creek Republican and former Alcoa executive. He is being paid $192,000 a year.
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Stevens is on paid leave until Monday. Bloodgood said she has not been contacted by airport officials about a proposed settlement, and that Stevens will make the final decision on whether to go forward with a lawsuit if a severance package is not offered.
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“I hope it doesn’t come to that,” Campbell said. He added that Aviation Authority staff has not been contacted by SLED.
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Reach Warren L. Wise at 937-5524 or twitter.com/warrenlancewise.
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The URL for this article is http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20130924/PC16/130929729/1177/sled-investigating-charleston-airport-board-after-director-x2019-s-resignation