POWERFUL BUDGET WRITER EMBROILED IN ANOTHER CAMPAIGN FINANCE SCANDAL
By FITSNEWS || Don’t look now but powerful S.C. ways and means chairman Brian White – the top budget writer in the S.C. House of Representatives – has another campaign finance scandal on his hands.
White – who was busted (but never punished) in 2011 for using campaign cash on personal expenses – is now under fire for routing more than $20,000 in campaign cash to a foundation and a charity associated with his wife, Courtney White.
According to campaign finance records reviewed by reporter Rick Brundrett of The Nerve, Brian White’s campaign organization has given roughly $10,000 apiece over the last six years to two entities: the Tri-County Technical College (TCTC) Foundation and the nonprofit Anderson Interfaith Ministries (AIM).
One is a foundation for a government-run school, the other is a faith-based charity. Courtney White is a board member and “director of development” for the foundation, and vice chairman of the charity.
Does either of these payouts sound like a legitimate use of campaign funds? Of course not …
In fact Brundrett is absolutely correct in asserting that his report “highlight(s) the longstanding problem of the lack of restrictions – and enforcement – on how lawmakers spend their campaign money.”
Yet while Brundrett did a nice job exposing these questionable donations, he failed to ask some important questions.
For example, did White claim these contributions on his taxes as charitable giving? And is his wife in any way entitled to compensation based on money she raises for these groups?
Hmmmm ….
“If those questions aren’t asked the article is empty,” one of White’s colleagues told FITS. “His wife has a charity he supports? So what. Sounds like a good (guy) to most people.”
Indeed.
Of course as shady as all of this looks, sources tell FITS this dust-up over campaign donations is the “least of (White’s) worries.” They’re referring, of course, to his name being mentioned as one of the lawmakers associated with an ongoing state/ federal investigation of corruption at the S.C. State House.
9 comments
Power corrupts. Government is power. Absolute power corrupts….absolutely.
The article doesn’t say but I will assume Mr. White is of the “Family Values” Party?
Another CLASSIC “Silence of the Lambs” media fog tactic…..!!!
…as if this Brian White does NOT know how VISIBLE a Family tree is…!? Geez..!?
This “news” is a classic “glass of wine” …..served at the beneficial time instead of on “taxpayer time”…!!
{Boomerang 101, 404, 901…………SC Dept of Education Social studies class blindfold……..Lindsey Graham “superPac” colonoscopy ……..Jim Clyburn SCSU accounting…}
People have been trying for years to figure out how to write off the money they give family members. It’s just about always illegal.
It’s the old GOP – Give to Other People – mainly our wives, relatives, etc. Down in the Sunshine / Funshine state, ole’ Marco El Jeffe Rubio was famous for paying out money from his campaign trove to the likes of his Mom (for research) and his sister (for Marketing). He also used funds and his GOP Credit Card for stuff like – fixing the family mini-van and taking the fam on vacations. And now he’s a GOP big-wig and getting ready to run for President. Ah – GOP values. Gotta love ’em.
Pols have long given to charities. They are pressured by everyone to do so. If it aint illegal, whats the harm? It is between the pol and his donors, and the state ought to stay out of it.
Buy taking money that was donated to a political campaign FOR campaigning for re-election???? What a moron!
Man gives campaign money to a charity. Let’s crucify him. This is silly. The highest one year contribution was $1500.00 to an organization that raised almost $500,000.00 and manages almost $20,000,000.00.
Contributions to AIM totaled $10,625 over seven years. The only criticism I have is why so cheap.
Then you have Rep Wendell Gillard, who collects money from lobbyists,etc, for his own foundation and uses it to pay salaries to members of his family.