MORE “RUN IT LIKE A BUSINESS” REPUBLICANS …
|| By FITSNEWS || Over the last four months, S.C. Rep. Don Wells has paid back $2,500 of the $50,000 he borrowed from a convicted swindler, The Aiken Standard is reporting.
Why should you care? The swindler – Jay Brooks – ripped off dozens of South Carolinians (including many of Wells’ constituents) before forgiving the lawmaker of the money he owed. Brooks was sentenced to fifteen years in prison last year, and ordered to pay restitution to seventy of his victims.
Brooks made the loan to Wells during his 2012 campaign for the S.C. General Assembly – less than two months before Election Day, actually.
Wells told reporter Teddy Kulmala he needed the money because his painting business had “fallen on hard times.”
Jeez … is this another Lee Bright-type situation? FITS readers will recall Bright – a South Carolina Senator – was a leading candidate against U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham last year, until his disastrous personal financial situation became widely known.
Gotta love these “Republican” businessmen …
“Amazing that this has not garnered more press outside of Aiken,” one source told us.
We agree … especially seeing as Wells did not disclose proceeds from the loan on his statement of economic interests.
Anyway, Wells’ payments on the loan are being routed to Brooks’ victims via the S.C. Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services (SCDPPPS) – which strikes us as odd, but whatever. We don’t really care enough about this story to dig much deeper.
We’re done with Wells … and hopefully Aiken voters will be, too.
23 comments
Don Wells is an embarrassment to Aiken. The crook he sought out to borrow money from has destroyed countless lives. Birds of a feather!
It certainly is an embarrassment, but don’t you think there is more to this story. Wells has not been returning calls made by The Standard. There are questions as to where he he is working where this $2,500 came from? It’s apparent that Wells forgets that he was elected by the people in his district. Where is Bill Taylor and Tom Young on this issue. This should not go away until we get all the answers.
Millbrook Baptist Church is probably making the payments for him, one way or another, shall we say. As a Deacon collecting the plate, some of them may not make all the way to the front. You have to wonder how bad things are for him, to have gotten into bed with this scumbag, and so broke he couldn’t raise $50,000 without borrowing from that shyster? Maybe Monica is bringing home the bacon now and Don is home with all the cute little kids. Where did he get the money to make payments from? Well, he could have cashed out his pension earned while serving on Aiken City Council. What I want to know is if he disclosed the borrowing of the money on his financial disclosure forms? And not making payments on it, has to be considered some kind of in-kind contribution, or at the least income that he has to state on income tax filings. It would be interesting to see if he gets treated the same way as Rep. Harold Mitchell was treated, or if the House has two kinds of justice, one for white members and one for black members.
Oh, I think we already know that the rules for black and white are different in the SC legislature.
Guest. Thank you for your input. What really bothers me and many others is Wells’ cavalier attitude regarding this matter. He is an elected member of the SC House and should be held up to a higher standard. Yet he refuses to return calls from The Standard and certainly has not been forthcoming. This guy is hiding and for some reason he has taken the position, to quote Wells, “that he is a “VICTIM” in this matter. To put it mildly what complete rubbish. You made a good point regarding whether he reported or disclosed this money. Again I ask where is Tom Young and the other members of the elected group of Republicans. Certainly they should come forward regarding this matter and how can they just disregard this situation? Wells is making the good people in Aiken look utterly foolish. What a good Baptist and christian this guy is. Many here in Aiken don’t think Wells is staying home. Aren’t there rumors regarding his employment? Why doesn’t he come forward once and for all and come clean. I ask you, who is the shyster?
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Finally FITSNEWS picked up on this! A few of things to note.
1- Wells made a statement to the Aiken Standard that he was a “VICTIM” as well as the people that were scammed by Brooks?
2- Where is and who is Wells working for? Is he double dipping somewhere in Aiken County?
3- Wells paid only $2,500 of the $50,000 he accepted from Brooks? Hell it’s going take for ever before Wells pays this off.
FITSNEWS don’t let this go as this should be looked into, as Wells is apparently stone walling.
Painting business?
Have we elected a house painter to the legislature?
I’m not a snob and respect anyone willing to work hard with their hands to make a living.
I just didn’t think the Aiken voters would feel that way, too.
There is a lot more to this story than what is being reported here. For example, Jay Brooks was Don Wells’ campaign treasurer. FITS should start digging.
Sconset987 you are absolutely correct. Wells is hiding and refusing interviews about this matter. His Aiken Republican Party is standing by him, as some have said “that it’s ok as he has no one running against him”? How can any politician have a guy like Jay Brooks for his campaign manager? Right FITS should start digging. Where is he working? Who’s he working for? What payment schedule was set up, and where is he getting the money. And finally as Guest brought up, has he reported this money to the IRS and/or put on his disclosure form?
Dont Worry Toyota plans to step out for the House 81 seat. No thanks Fanny Farkle dont want your smart growth,voucher crowd votes. Stay behind the gates, or better yet help us keep Aiken County Clean and Go Back TO O-H-I-O!!!!
Toyota kawaski. What the hell are you talking about? You make absolutely no sense at all with your rambling. Fred aka Fanny
He probably got on the wrong post or some really bad auto correct?
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A little off topic, but interesting nonetheless. Look at members of Congress “Net Worth” – if you start at the top it looks like a bunch of fat cats, but start at the bottom, that is where the negative “Net Worth” is shown. At least two of SC’s finest (Gowdy & Scott) appear to have a negative net worth.
http://media.cq.com/50Richest/
Did a little research. NCSL ( National Conference of State Legislators ). In South Carolina a legislator can not hold other public employment. “No person is eligible to a seat in the General Assembly while he holds any position of profit or trust under this state, the United States of America, or any of them, or under any other power.” Upon checking Linked in, Don Wells list his current employment: Municipal Government Consultant @ self employed. Wells may not be employed by a municipality, but is working and being engaged as an consultant for a municipality. My question does this constitute “double dipping”, which is not permitted in South Carolina?
Where are you getting this info? I doubt it is true, FITS ran a story the other day of a legislator that works for a public college in Spartanburg. I think there is also a legislator that works for SCDOT.
where. I googled National Conference of State Legislators, that lists by state the “do’s and don’t ” for legislators. South Carolina does not allow “double dipping”. Also apparently Wells did not list this $50,000 gift with the state, as there was no note on his SC Statement of Economic Interest?
Working as a consultant to municipal governments is not holding a position “of honor or profit” under the Dual Office Holding Prohibition. Honestly though, what right thinking town would hire a guy that ran his business so far into the ground that he borrowed, and had forgiven a $50,000 loan from a convicted felon who stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from his neighbors, friends and associates?
Mayor Bubba: “Hey Don, what are you going to do with that check we gave you for getting us that B&CB Water grant?”
Friend of Shyster (Don): “Well, first I got to make my monthly payment to the SC Dept of Probation, Pardon and Parole, then maybe take the kids out for an ice cream.”
Most of the comments on this story are from one person, or a very small group.
Go ahead and hate the guy, but don’t trash him like a coward. Man up and use your real name.
Says the guy who calls himself Parker? I’ve provided enough info that TK, assuming he has a memory, knows who I am.
Looks like ol Wes Donohue has his shorts in a wad regarding his client. Just so long as you’ve been paid?
LOL – BTW, I like your name. Reminds me of My Little Pony :)