S.C. Sen. Lee Bright (R-Spartanburg) has – much to our surprise – run a decent campaign for the U.S. Senate. He’s received a fair amount of early support from activists under the Tea Party umbrella, and he’s lobbed some effective grenades at incumbent liberal Lindsey Graham.
Now … that doesn’t make him any less of a moron, but the thing about Bright is that he’s (generally) been our kind of moron.
Course while we always knew Bright had a rock solid voting record on fiscal issues, some of his quirkier social views (and his irascible, often petty personality) gave us cause for alarm when it came to his viability as a statewide candidate.
Especially in what is (or should be) a national race.
So far, so good though … mostly. Now, does that mean Bright has emerged as the “anti-Graham” so many national conservatives are seeking?
No … in fact sources tell FITS a “major land mine” lies in Bright’s path, specifically his less-than-stellar personal financial history.
As we reported a month ago, Bright has not disclosed his personal financials to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) as required by law.
According to FEC rules, these reports are due no more than thirty days “after becoming a candidate for nomination.” The FEC grants “reasonable extensions” in the case of “extraordinary circumstances” – but there is a hard and fast limit on its patience.
“The total number of days for any extension granted for any one report may, not exceed 90 days under federal law,” the agency’s rulebook states.
For those of you keeping score at home, Bright formally declared his candidacy for the U.S. Senate on August 13 – which is 92 days ago. However he didn’t file his statement of candidacy (.pdf here) with the FEC until August 16 – which is 89 days ago.
In other words, tomorrow (November 14) would appear to be the last day Bright could file this required paperwork.
Will he?
According to one source familiar with Bright’s financial history, his filing will be a “devastating event” for his campaign.
“Lee’s campaign is over once he files that document,” the source said, referring to a “litany” of bankruptcy and tax issues.
This website has written on Bright’s financial troubles in the past – noting that one of his companies owed more than $300,000 and was on the verge of going bankrupt.
However we didn’t hold these issues against him …
“Whatever Bright’s personal business issues are – and it appears pretty obvious at this point that he has some serious ones – businesses go under and declare bankruptcy every day (more often than ever these days),” we wrote. “There’s nothing wrong with that … and if Bright’s message team is good, they may be able to find a way to spin these troubles in his favor.”
Voters didn’t hold Bright’s financial issues against him either, as he was overwhelmingly reelected to the S.C. Senate last summer in a hotly contested Republican primary race.
But we don’t know everything about Bright’s financial situation … and there’s clearly something causing him to wait until the very last minute to divulge this information.
Is it a campaign ending land mine? Or is it merely an embarrassing revelation (or two) Bright’s team can explain away?
FITS reached out to Bright’s campaign for a comment on this story but did not immediately receive a response.
Guess we’ll find out what’s up soon enough …
Bright is one of four announced challengers to Graham. The others are Lowcountry businesswoman Nancy Mace, Upstate businessman (and former congressional candidate) Richard Cash and Orangeburg, S.C. attorney (and Afghan War veteran) Bill Connor.
29 comments
Lee’s….not so bright.
Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.
Nothing like a guy facing bankruptcy telling the government how to avoid bankruptcy.
Nothing like a guy facing bankruptcy telling the government how to avoid bankruptcy.
Sure, when you say it that way, it sounds bad…
Try this on for size:
“Proven, experienced leadership.”
*Grins*
Ha! Brilliant.
“We don’t know everything about Bright’s financial situation.”
Let me enlighten you. He borrowed a bunch of money from a bunch of people. He didn’t pay it back and has numerous judgments against him and his company. Now if Bright was a Democrat and just as personally fiscally irresponsible, you would be all over his ass (and you should be). The last person we need to send to the Senate is a deadbeat whose only paycheck is from the government, and who is seeking an even bigger paycheck from the government.
And your flippancy about people filing bankruptcy every day is laughable. I’m sure if a few of your clients filed bankruptcy on you, as several of mine have, leaving you with thousands of dollars in uncollectable fees, you would be singing a much different tune.
Didn’t Free Times report all of this some time ago?
No, FITS pounds on “Republicans” too, although you’re right about the hypocrisy. As cliche as it is, I suspect it has more to do with the fact that Bright is funded by Howard Rich.
I dunno Smirks, I don’t think Howie would fuck him with your dick.
If he was a Democrat this would be a feather in his cap. He was being held down by The Man, EEEEEEvil corporations, lack of access to affordable loans, blahblah
PRO TIP :
The unscrupulous way to get rich quick.*
Buy on credit.
Sell for cash.
Don’t pay your bills.
*Not endorsed by TBG.
Hey, Flint MI just elected a couple of convicted felons. One was a murderer.
It’s all perspective.
Maybe he needed time to launder his money.
Let me enlighten you on what he will do. He will release only the barest minimum of what the law will require him to release. He will do so at the last minute, after getting every extension allowable by law. (This is the same way he deals with his creditors, by the way.) Once he does release his information, and there’s a news story about it, he will not be embarrassed. He has no shame whatsoever. He will blame everyone else for his problems, Obama, the economy, the liberal media. Everyone but himself.
Then he will go right on as if nothing has happened, because he has no shame and because he desperately needs a full time job, in this case it happens to be the US Senate. That he is not “qualified” for that job, or any other for that matter, is not relevant. That he is a tax-cheat, deadbeat, bankrupt, con artist is not relevant.
What is relevant, and what he understands probably better than people give him credit for, is that the current Republican electorate in this State is much like him. They too want something for nothing, although they would die before they could admit it. They want their government help (medicare, social security, mortgage tax deduction, etc), they just don’t want anybody else to get government help (especially if they are black).
Lee is an uneducated, religious zealot, reactionary, ignorant, rabble rousing racist and neo-confederate. He once referred to Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, probably the noblest act of any President in history, as a “ruse” (a position with which many of his fellow travelers who frequent this website will no doubt agree).
Lee knows who votes in primaries, and he REALLY knows who votes in Runoffs. That’s key here, because if Lee can make it into a runoff with Lindsey, it will be Lee’s half-baked, ignorant, red neck and geriatric voters who will show up and vote. So give the devil credit where credit is due.
Thanks to the cancer upon this Country that is the libertarian, tea party, racist, and reactionary modern day republican party, he has a shot at something he should never, and I mean never, even be in the running for.
Mark my words.
He once referred to Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, probably the noblest act of any President in history, as a “ruse” (a position with which many of his fellow travelers who frequent this website will no doubt agree).
Too bad ol’ Jeff Davis didn’t think to proclaim all northern slaves “free”, whilst keeping those in the Confederacy enslaved, eh?
And you also believe the “modern day” GOP is “libertarian”.
How cute.
What is relevant, and what he understands probably better than people give him credit for, is that the current Republican electorate in this State is much like him. They too want something for nothing, although they would die before they could admit it. They want their government help (medicare, social security, mortgage tax deduction, etc), they just don’t want anybody else to get government help (especially if they are black).
Regrettably, a lot of this is true.
…half-baked, ignorant, red neck and geriatric voters…
Are you saying this is not Graham’s constituency? (Especially the “ignorant” and “geriatric” part.)
Where’s that damn Greene fellow when you need him?
Well, Greene is a Democrat, so he would have to get by that Stamper guy…..
But if it came down to Graham Vs Greene, TBG would vote for ol’ Alvin in a heartbeat. While Alvin, reportedly “ain’t all there upstairs”, neither was ol’ Strom his last couple terms.
Also, TBG believes that the manufacture, distribution and sale of Alvin Greene Action Figures (with the Kung Fu grip) would be better for the economy than amnesty, unending war and carbon taxes.
Looks like you’re right. Check this out https://www.fitsnews.com/2013/11/16/lee-brights-income-disclosure-still-not-filed/
In fairness to not-so-Bright, if the measuring stick for who is best to serve in office is solely is predicated on their business/financial success then we should be electing all the TBTF bankers into office. Right?
They didn’t have to file bankruptcy. They were smart enough to pay off the pols to keep their companies going and still yet get their bonuses!
That’s some real business acumen.
While we’re at it, let’s throw some GM executives in the mix too.
Or better yet, let’s elect someone that sold their influence to a local hospital for $40K or gave up a port advantage for $10k. That’s financial success, right?
And this guy wants to be a U.S. Senator? You have got to be kidding me.
Lee, are you concerned about pending lawsuits showing up on your disclosure? Or perhaps certain summary judgments ruled against you…? Are you trying to find a way to hide these things? You know, because your campaign would implode if people found out what a scumbag and bully you really are. Let’s add weazle, liar, and thief to that list.
I’ve been posting same for a number of years since he ran for the “new” Senate district after the “Big Trade a few years back.
Not to mention I saw him in action at a Spartanburg County Delegation meeting being the total asshole he is and the way he threw his constituents under the bus during the Holly Springs FD affair (I was there – I know).
But like others have posted, as long as the fire breathing TEA party run things in the Republican Primaries, he will have a chance even though he does not deserve one.
As many of us here have said all along, this was LG’s year to get sacked. He’s raised so much money, though, and used his biggest chip (incumbency) so well that he’s in good enough shape. Political races are a little like markets- many of us knew that back when the grown-ups reeled their feelers back in and left the field open to the likes of Mace and Bright (and I guess Connor now, too) that the numbers just weren’t there. Sorry, surely, but that’s the way it appears.
Lee Bright still owes a Spartanburg friend of mine payment for services rendered. He is not to be trusted w/ the taxpayers money. The ‘commenters’ below have sized him up fairly well.
He owes a friend of mine money too.
SCGOP voters don’t care about voting for tax cheats and financial scammers…just look at Nikki Haley and Mitt Romney.
This guy runs his business into the ground, can’t pay his bills, and is widely considered to be a moron. He has scored the Trifecta for the Tea Party. He is their perfect candidate.
If the primary plays out properly – and with the morons advising the challengers that is an interesting outcome to contemplate – ONE of the challengers will be second to Graham’s 47%. I will vote for that person, regardless of whomever that is.
go bill connor