A powerful GOP donor has filed suit against Nikki Haley

[Are_grits_groceries]

A top Republican donor who helped recruit former Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC) to run for South Carolina’s top job filed a lawsuit accusing current Gov. Nikki Haley (R) of trading off her former job in the state legislature to earn big corporate paychecks. If the allegations against Haley are true, she may have earned as much as $150,000 from wealthy interest groups eager to enlist a sitting lawmaker as an advocate for their interests.

According to the GOP donor’s lawsuit, Haley failed to disclose $42,500 in secret income she earned from a company called Wilbur Smith Associates, and she failed to recuse herself from a vote that financially benefited Wilbur Smith. Haley also took a $110,000 a year job from a hospital company and then allegedly worked as an illegal lobbyist for the company while she was a sitting lawmaker:

The lawsuit accuses Haley, first elected in 2004 to represent Lexington in the House, of lobbying the state Department of Health and Environment Control on behalf of Lexington Medical, as it sought permission for a new open-heart surgery center. Haley and hospital officials previously have said her job as a fundraiser – a $110,000-a-year job the hospital’s CEO created for her in August 2008 – had nothing to do with the heart center.

But the lawsuit points to an August 2008 email between Haley and her boss. Asked about a meeting on the heart center, she replies, “We have some work to do not only to switch votes but to hold the ones we have. We are as close as we are going to get and can’t afford to leave one stone unturned. … Fingers crossed!”

If these allegations prove true, they are quite serious. There is a clear and serious conflict of interest when a lawmaker is allowed to influence matters that benefit their employer — especially when the lawmaker is allowed to keep many of the details of
http://tinyurl.com/6m8ql85

And this is her own party.
She stepped on somebody's toes big time. Wonder what she did? Hmmmmmmmm......

[SpiralHawk]

1. Republicon Family Value political ethics

as usual. Right out of the bottom of the cesspool (R)

[JDPriestly]

2. Compare these allegations to those in the Don Siegleman case.

Wow! She should be in hundreds of times the trouble Siegelman had if even half of these facts are proved true.

We shall see.

[eppur_se_muova]

8. ! nt

[gratuitous]

9. Except Haley isn't facing criminal charges, for some reason

This is a civil suit by a private party. Even if Haley gets hammered in the lawsuit, she won't be going to jail as a result of it. Now if, say, an Assistant U.S. Attorney somewhere decided to look into these allegations . . .

Naaaaahhhh!

[Spazito]

3. Let the infighting begin!

Love it!

[SCantiGOP]

4. He is sane

He is an anti-teaparty Republican, because he realizes they will likely cause the party to implode. He supported the Democratic candidate in the last election because he knew how bad she was. There was an article in our local Free Times weekly on him. His first quote is "She is the most corrupt Governor since Reconstruction. She is corrupt to the core." This is very good news for South Carolina. In a year where the GOP swept every state wide office and every Congressional district except our one majority-minority district, she had the narrowest win of any them. Her Democratic opponent began running for 2014 the day after the election.

[malaise]

5. Butter anyone?

:popcorn:

[formercia]

10. I'll have some extra Butter, thanks.

This is going to get good.

[malaise]

14. So will I

[Bonhomme Richard]

6. What this actually means is that the donor lost....

business to Wilbur Smith company and he is pissed that he didn't benefit. Love it when they eat each other.

[SCantiGOP]

7. not quite

He is 70 years old, retired and very wealthy. He owned a CPA firm and is also an attorney. He was honest when he said that he was a conservative Republican, but being an American and a South Carolinian was more important than that.

[Are_grits_groceries]

11. He's just as corrupt as the rest of that lot

even if he is after Haley. I don't know who he is fronting for, but he has somebody in mind to replace her who can help the GOPEAS out.

I no more believe he is doing this because he is a South Carolinian and an American than I believe Rick Perry has a clue. He has some hidden agenda.

[SCantiGOP]

12. I've known him for over 20 years

He is an honest man. He is supporting the only sane candidate in the race, Huntsman. He contributed money to the last Democrat who was elected Governor, and he did actively and openly support the Democratic candidate against Haley. Saying all Republicans are corrupt is as senseless as saying all liberals are (fill in the blank).

[Are_grits_groceries]

13. Not in SC.

He still has some other dawg in this hunt I'll bet.

[Bonhomme Richard]

16. I defer to your judgement.

Then he is a rare duck.

[HappyMe]

15. Wow!

She's toast.