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by WILL FOLKS
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As the South Carolina governor’s race enters its most pivotal phase, a complaint has been filed with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) against a political action committee touting one of the contest’s GOP frontrunners.
The complaint, submitted on Saturday (March 16, 2026), listed Patriots for South Carolina as the tax-exempt organization warranting an IRS referral. This group formed in February 2025 to support the candidacy of Republican lieutenant governor Pamela Evette – and has expended hundreds of thousands of dollars on behalf of her candidacy.
According to the complaint, Patriots for South Carolina claimed to be a “qualified state or local political organization” exempt from disclosing its donors. As a qualified organization, it further stated that it would “file reports (in) South Carolina.
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Has it, though?
“The group has file no such report with the state of South Carolina,” the complaint alleged.
Of interest? The address for Patriots for South Carolina cited on the IRS compliant is not located in the Palmetto State – but rather in Beverly, Massachusetts. FITSNews could find no entity bearing this name registered in the state of South Carolina.
The complaint listed Evette and political consultants Justin Evans and Chris Grant as “persons involved” in the alleged violation, and indicated a dollar amount of $1.5 million as having been tied to it.
This isn’t the first time Patriots for South Carolina has found itself embroiled in controversy. Last fall, the group ran – and rapidly pulled – a television advertisement implying Evette had received the endorsement of status quo governor Henry McMaster. The governor would later endorse Evette, but at the time he had not lent his imprimatur to her candidacy.
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Since her name was listed on the complaint, FITSNews reached out to Evette’s campaign for comment. Her campaign manager, Megan Finnern, told us they were “uncertain” as to why the lieutenant governor was named on the document.
“The PAC is separate from campaign and run by a separate team, as I assumed you would know but perhaps not,” Evette’s campaign manager Megan Finnern told this reporter. “The referred organization in the complaint itself is Patriots for SC. So (I) suggest you reach out to them. Again, I’m uncertain why it would be as the PAC is separate from the campaign. Perhaps whomever filed the complaint doesn’t understand this either.”
Messages to Patriots for South Carolina were not immediately returned… in the event we hear back from the organization, we will be sure to update this article.
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THE COMPLAINT…
(Provided)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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SOUND OFF…
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1 comment
It will be interesting to see just how nasty this race gets…