Politics

Chief Justice Recuses Self from Election Case

Grand Strand Daily and SC Hotline have joined forces to confirm that Chief Justice Jean Toal and Associate Justice Donald Beatty have recused themselves from the candidate filing case for the upcoming June 12th Republican and Democratic primaries.

The case is Michael Anderson and Robert Barber, Plaintiffs v. S.C. Election Commission, S.C. Republican Party, S.C. Democratic Party, et al.

Plaintiffs Anderson and Barber are seeking to stop the parties from certifying and the election commission from including on the June 12th primary ballot any candidate who did not strictly comply with state law by filing their Statement of Economic Interest form, with the S.C. Ethics Commission, at a different time from when their Statement of Intention of Candidacy was filed.

According to information from the Clerk of Court for the S.C. Supreme Court, Chief Justice Toal will be replaced on the bench by Justice G. Thomas Cooper, Jr. from the 5th Circuit Court while Justice Beatty will be replaced by former Supreme Court Associate Justice James Moore, who retired from the court in 2008.

Continue Reading →

New Twist in Election Filing Case

A new twist has been added to the election filing controversy that affects many candidates for elective office throughout the state.

Even before the S.C. Supreme Court hears oral arguments on the case May 1, 2012, the S.C. House Legislative Ethics Committee has seen fit to send out notices of fines for late filing.

The letter below has been edited to eliminate the name of the candidate for public office who received it. However, this candidate is a first time office seeker who filed the Statement of Economic Interests SEI) after March 30, 2012 but before April 15, 2012.

Continue Reading →

7th District Democrats Heating Up

The race for the Democratic nomination for the new 7th Congressional District heated up recently when Horry County’s Preston Brittain took a swipe at S.C. Rep. Ted Vick of Chesterfield County.

According to recent polling date, Brittain and Vick are the front runners in a field of five that also includes Gloria Bromell-Tinubu, Parnell Diggs and Harry Pavilack all from Horry County.

Brittain has been traveling in the western part of the district this week. He picked up an important endorsement from Florence Mayor Steven Wukela early in the week.

“Preston hasn’t been part of the problem in Washington — he has spent his career standing up to power for real people.” Wukela said.

Continue Reading →

How Far Will S.C. Supreme Court Go?

Part III of the Election Filing Mess

After reading the complaint and viewing exhibits included with the lawsuit by two Lexington County voters against the S.C. Republican and Democratic parties and the S.C. Election Commission, it is clear it will be very difficult for the S.C. Supreme Court to fail to disqualify some candidates who were late in fililng their Statement of Economic Interests.

Many incumbents and challengers, who filed for the upcoming June 12th primary elections, did not comply with either the letter of the law or with the spirit of the law by failing to file some required papers until after close of filing at noon March 30, 2012.

(Ed. Note: The complaint, exhibits and other documents included with the suit can be found in the election commission information pdf file below.}

Continue Reading →

S.C. Election Filing Mess – Part II

Every time we look at the mess created during election filing time by candidates who did not comply with state law, something else jumps out to further complicate the upcoming S.C. Supreme Court decision on two lawsuits filed to challenge discrepancies in the filings.

Yesterday we reported on the absolute mess in Horry County that, under strict adherence to state law, would disqualify enough candidates and incumbents to leave two county council, one state house, one state senate, sheriff, coroner, clerk of court, auditor and treasurer with no qualified candidates from either party to appear on the ballot.

That could mean all those seats are determined by write-in campaigns in November.

But, the mess does not end there. It seems the state legislators who passed the law could not be bothered to follow its provisions either.

Continue Reading →

S.C. Election Filing Mess Gets Deeper

The Horry County June 12th primary election ballots could have many blank spaces instead of candidates’ names if the South Carolina Supreme Court determines strict adherence with state law is required by all candidates.

After the state Supreme Court agreed last week to hear two cases regarding challenges to candidate filings from the recent election filing period, Grand Strand Daily conducted further investigation into filing dates of candidate Statement of Economic Interests.

Our investigation of filing information listed on the S.C. Ethics Commission website included both incumbent office holders as well as challengers. The results are that many candidates, it could even be said most, did not strictly comply with state law when filing for office in the current election cycle.

Continue Reading →

Wallace Continues Rise in 7th District Polls

Myrtle Beach city councilman Randal Wallace has become the “little engine that could” among Republican candidates for the 7th Congressional District nomination.

Although he trails significantly in money raising, normally the “mother’s milk” of politics, Wallace has been polling respectably among the more, supposedly, high flying candidates in the race – Andre Bauer, Chad Prosser, Jay Jordan and Tom Rice.

A personable individual, effective speaker with a good grasp of issues and an extremely hard working campaigner, Wallace’s personal attributes seem to be leveling the playing field somewhat with his better funded opponents.

Continue Reading →

Horry Candidates Could be Disqualified

A total of 15 Horry County Republican candidates for state or local office could be left off the ballot in June because of a failure to file the required Statement of Economic Interests with the S.C. Ethics Commission on time.

South Carolina Code of Laws Section 8-13-1356 (B) states, “A candidate must file a statement of economic interests for the preceding calendar year at the same time and with the same official with whom the candidate files a declaration of candidacy or petition for nomination.”

Filing for candidates closed at noon March 30, 2012. The Statement of Economic Interests form needed to be filed electronically with the Ethics Commission by the closing deadline for all candidates except incumbents.

Continue Reading →

County Council Curse?

Former Speaker of the House Thomas P. “Tip” O’Neill learned his famous political maxim “all politics is local” in his first campaign (and only loss) for elective office.

The concept is that politicians are successful when they concentrate on the everyday concerns of their local voters and that most people who vote are focused on local concerns.

The validity of O’Neill’s maxim seems to be playing itself out, at least in a negative sense, in the contest for the Republican nomination for the new 7th Congressional District seat.

Continue Reading →

Loftis, Factor Cleared by AG

For those of you who may have missed it over the Easter weekend, SC Attorney General Alan Wilson cleared state Treasurer Curtis Loftis and Mallory Factor of any wrongdoing in an alleged “pay to play” scheme involving the nearly $25 billion state retirement fund.

Loftis has been a critic of the management of the state’s pension fund for much of his 13 months as treasurer. On January 31, 2012, Loftis outlined problems associated with the pension fund during testimony to the Senate Finance Retirement Committee.

Among those problems, Loftis listed the $25 billion pension fund is underfunded by approximately $13 billion dollars (33%) in order to meet its future liabilities; full-time employees of the pension system have risen from three in 2006 to 23 currently; investment management fees have rocketed from $31 million in 2005 to $343 million 2011 and the fund has consistently underperformed with respect to similar pension funds in other states over the past five years.

Continue Reading →
1 … 111 112 113 114 115 … 117