News and Views from around the state: April 21, 2025

 

Navy Blue Angels do their performance at an Airshow.
Beaufort native, Maj. Brandon Wilkins, flies the No. 2 F/A18
and flew in the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort Air Show, 
Sat., April 12, 2025. A show he grew up watching as a child. 
Photo by: Sean P. Twomey

Easter: South Carolina: In her Easter column Cindi Ross Scoppe, Post and Courier, says there are some politicians at the State House that are truly doing the Lord’s work while being public servants. I enjoyed this read.  

Boat Tax: South Carolina: South Carolina pays some of the highest boat taxes in the country, but are some South Carolinians being double taxed on their boat? Bristow Marchant, The State Paper, investigates.

SC Politics: Curtis Loftis vs SC Senate: Defending Curtis Loftis: The South Carolina State Senate Overreach, James Bessinger, The Carolina Courier, says it should be up to the voters of South Carolina that has elected him four times with nearly 80% of the vote in 2022 to decide whether or not to remove him, not the South Carolina Senate He calls such a move a political ambush carried out behind closed doors that undermines every voter who cast a ballot in his favor. I could not agree more.  

Education: Charleston County: A bill passed by the House and the Senate is heading to the Governor Henry McMasters desk. If signed, it will abolish the Charleston County School District’s constituent school boards. CCSD is the only school district in the state that uses the system.

Education: Berkley County: A student reported a teacher for “acting off” and reeked of alcohol according to a state disciplinary report. Administrators went into his classroom while he was out for lunch and found five unopened beers chilling in a lunchbox on his desk. He’s been fired.

Lowcountry Survival: Alligator encounters are on the rise. Here’s what to do if you find yourself face to teeth with one.

Business: Beaufort: A Utah company is investing $7 million in a high-tech facility in Seabrook. TL+CO Business Solutions will hire 35 people to assemble and supply parts for the defense and aerospace industry.  

Military: Beaufort: Marine Maj. Brandon Wilkins, who flies Blue Angel No. 3 F/A-18, flies in an event he watched as a child, the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort Airshow.

Food Drink and Fun: Here’s a map of the most popular beer in every US state. South Carolina drinks Guinness? Guinness? Damn tourists and implants…

Sports: Gamecocks only Heisman winner, George Rogers says he’d play for head coach Shane Beamer and is rooting for LaNorris Sellers to win the Heisman. 

Updated: One student dead, at least 21 injured in tragic school bus crash on I-77 in Chester County

 

Written by: Tony J. Spain, Palmetto Examiner
April 18, 2025

COLUMBIA, S.C. (PE)— South Carolina Highway Patrol has confirmed a 13-year-old student was killed and at least 21 other people were injured when a Lexington County school bus returning from a field trip blew a tire, hit a guard rail and overturned at mile marker 55 on I-77 near Richburg in Chester County Thursday afternoon.

Lexington School District Two officials have confirmed there were three buses with students from Pine Ridge Middle School returning from a field trip in Charlotte, N.C. when a bus carrying 35 students from Pine Ridge Middle School and three adults had an accident.

One of the other buses used evasive measures to avoid colliding with the overturned bus. Some students on that bus were treated for injuries, but it’s unclear the severity of those injuries at this time.  

Local elected officials have given comments and statements of prayer and condolences.

“Our hearts are broken by the tragic bus accident in Chester County this afternoon. Our entire state is mourning alongside the Pine Ridge Middle School families, friends, classmates, and educators,” S.C. Superintendent of Education, Ellen Weaver said in a statement. “Please join me in praying for the Lexington Two community.”

“Today’s school bus accident in Chester County is a tragedy no family should ever have to endure,” said Governor Henry McMaster. “Peggy and I are heartbroken. Please join us in praying for the victims, their family, a speedy recovery for those injured, and the entire Lexington Two community. All of South Carolina is with you.”

“Devastated to hear about the school bus crash in Chester County,” S.C. Attorney General, Alan Wilson, Lexington County resident, said. “My heart goes out to the students, families, and the entire Pine Ridge Middle School community. South Carolina is praying for you.”

“Our Pine Ridge Middle School family experienced a tragedy today. Families in our community are hurting and there are no words that will be able to ease the pain,” said State Sen. Russell Ott, (D) District 26, said. The middle school is in the district he represents.

“I want to thank first responders at the scene and everyone who came together to ensure parents could be unified with their children quickly and safely. As we continue to sort through the details of the accident, be assured all involved are working to make sure every resource is available to those affected,” added Ott.

First responders and local law enforcement from dozens of agencies arrived on the scene shutting down I-77 in both directions as ambulances and helicopters helped transport those with serious injuries to nearby hospitals. I-77 southbound lanes were closed for six hours after the crash.

The school district set up a “reunification site” for students' families six miles south of the crash site. Passengers on all three buses were cleared by EMS after a medical evaluation and taken to the reunification site for pick up according to the school district.

Pine Ridge Middle School started spring break on Friday, but early Friday morning at 7 a.m., the Pine Ridge Middle School community gathered around the flag poles at the school for a prayer vigil.

“Even at this most painful time, it is a source of comfort to know that we live in a community and state where people look out for each other,” said Lexington Two Superintendent Brenda Hafner, expressing gratitude for the outpouring of support.

Counseling services were also made available at the school Friday morning, and a letter to parents from the district said additional support services will also be available when students return from spring break April 28.  

Pine Ridge Middle School has set up a donation page for those who’d like to give help to the families of those still in the hospital. You can find those resources on their website.

The accident remains under investigation by the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

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About the Author: 

Tony Spain is a former candidate for Richland County Council 2020 and an award winning former military photographer and journalist while in the Public Affairs Office for the U.S. Army. His photos and writing have been published in numerous publications such as The Commercial News, Danville, Ill.; The Paraglide, Fort Bragg, N.C.; Soldier of Fortune Magazine; The State Newspaper, Columbia, S.C., and more.

He lives in Columbia, S.C.

 

What Say You? Got something you'd like to say? Letter to the Editor (Guest Column), praises, criticism, hate mail, news story tip or just want to say, howdy. Send them to Tony@palmettoexaminer.com

Opinion: Organizations: Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do

Written by: Tony J. Spain, Palmetto Examiner
April 18, 2025

Forgive me, for I am very cynical of organized religion, but it's not limited to religion. I'm cynical and lacking in trust of any organized group bonded together by a direct common cause. Why? Because people are flawed and evil by nature. It's human nature. Eventually these groups get poisoned by individuals who are willing to protect the group’s sins against their power and formed hierarchy elite at any cost, and the next thing you know you're nailing a guy onto a cross on a perfectly good Friday!

Now, don't get me wrong, there are several good, organized church communities and organizations out there, but not all are. We can look at many of our political parties and civic organizations in our own country and see this happening as well. They're literally tearing our country apart as I write with division to no one's benefit but their own selfish agendas. Neither side can put their differences aside for the common sense or for a conversation even for the good of the country. They're full of corruption and will do about anything to protect their sins and power. I think I may have truly discovered my cynicism about organizations while in an organization called the U.S. Army on a deployment to Afghanistan. In 2007 I found myself on a fifteen-month deployment as a noncommissioned officer without being able to answer the important question of what was our mission? There was no clarity of mission of what we were supposed to be accomplishing. It was also on this deployment I learned how much certain individuals in non-government organizations like USAID or military contractors were making while the U.S. Soldier provided their security. It was at that very moment I realized the war effort was no longer about what it had started out to be. 

Later I would sit in a classroom in the organization of college with political science teachers that discounted my opinions on Iraq and Afghanistan because, get this, I was actually there and because of my "bias" I can’t understand the “macro” issues they gathered from books. And then there is Congress, my favorite organization, (Enter mass amounts of sarcasm) They debate military benefits and pay, while asking them to do more with less. Create legislation and pass laws and regulations to the bid of lobbyist money for their pockets, not in the interest of you, me or country. 

But one thing I've learned in all cases, it's not about groups. It's about individuals. A group or organization is only as good as its leadership. Going to church or associating yourself with any of the Christian religions doesn't necessarily make you a Christian and associating yourself with any group or organization doesn't mean you have the best interest of others in mind. 

For me, it's about my faith in and my relationship with Jesus and God. I pray every day for His guidance and wisdom, not just for me, but for all of us. And if I continue to be persecuted for that, that will be alright. 

Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do... And forgive me.

A Good Friday to you and a happy Easter weekend my friends. 

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About the Author: 

 

Tony Spain is a former candidate for Richland County Council 2020 and an award winning former military photographer and journalist while in the Public Affairs Office for the U.S. Army. His photos and writing have been published in numerous publications such as The Commercial News, Danville, Ill.; The Paraglide, Fort Bragg, N.C.; Soldier of Fortune Magazine; The State Newspaper, Columbia, S.C., and more.

He lives in Columbia, S.C. 

What Say You? Got something you'd like to say? Letter to the Editor (Guest Column), praises, criticism, hate mail, news story tip or just want to say, howdy. Send them to Tony@palmettoexaminer.com 

SC congresswoman says she too was targeted by man accused of threatening to kill Trump

 

U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace talked to reporters at the Greenville County
GOP convention at the Greenville Convention Center on Monday April 14, 2025.
(Photo by Mark Susko/Special to the SC Daily Gazette)

Written by Shaun Chornobroff, South Carolina Daily Gazette 
April 15, 2025

GREENVILLE-- (SC Daily Gazette) U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace told Republicans at a county convention Monday that she was among the targets of a Pennsylvania man charged last week with threatening to kill President Donald Trump and other officials.

The 1st District congresswoman said U.S. Capitol Police called her while she was on her way to Greenville to inform her that Shawn Monper threatened to kill her too in an online post in January.

U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace spoke at the Greenville
County GOP convention at the Greenville Convention
 Center on Monday April 14, 2025.
(Photo by Mark Susko/Special to the SC Daily Gazette)

“He wanted to put a bullet in my head. No way!” the Charleston County Republican told about 1,000 people gathered at the Greenville County GOP convention.

Monper, 32, of Butler, Pennsylvania, was arrested last Wednesday and accused of threatening to kill Trump, Elon Musk, immigration agents, and others, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday.

According to the release, threats from a self-identified “Mr. Satan” were posted on YouTube between Jan. 15 and April 5. They included a Feb. 17 threat to kill Trump, Musk, all of Trump’s appointed directors and “anyone who stands in the way.”

Mace told the crowd she was the only known member of Congress named in the threats.

Fox News was first to report Monday evening that Mace was a target of the threats. Mace then told reporters from the Gazette and other outlets at the convention before taking the stage to address the crowd as a guest speaker.

“I will not back down to the threats,” Mace told reporters. “I will not back down to the intimidation. I will not back down to anyone who is threatening to put a bullet in my head.”

Friday’s release from the Department of Justice did not include any specific threat against Mace. Asked for additional details, a Mace spokeswoman referred only to the Fox News report, which cited an unnamed source.

The U.S. Capitol Police responded to the Gazette’s questions Tuesday morning, but only to say they do not comment on “potential investigations” for safety reasons.

According to the Department of Justice, the FBI was alerted to the threats April 8, and the internet activity of “Mr. Satan” came from Monper’s home. The statements included claims of stocking up on guns and ammunition to “do a mass shooting.”

Trump survived a pair of assassination attempts last year, the first at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July, when the gunman’s bullets killed one attendee, seriously injured two others, and hit Trump’s ear before Secret Service agents killed him.

Mace, who is considering a 2026 bid for governor, told reporters she’s close to a decision. She said she’s spoken to Trump about running to replace term-limited Gov. Henry McMaster and knows the president’s endorsement isn’t guaranteed.

“I don’t manage what he does or how he does it or who he endorses,” she said. “But if I do run, I’ll be working very hard to get his support.”

Mace, first elected to represent the coastal 1st District in 2020, cast herself to the GOP faithful in South Carolina’s largest county as someone who will bring Trump’s “America first” agenda to South Carolina “from the state all the way down to the local level.”

Winning over voters in ruby red Greenville County, which is split between the 3rd and 4th congressional districts, is key to any statewide race.

“I will stand up for Donald Trump and J.D. Vance every day of the week. I don’t care,” she told the crowd.

“I will never stop fighting for Donald J. Trump,” she said to conclude her speech, calling to voters’ mind the moment of defiance when Trump mouthed “fight” and pumped his fist after getting shot in Pennsylvania.

Steve Bannon gave the keynote speech at the
Greenville County GOP convention at the
Greenville Convention Center on Monday April 14, 2025.
(Photo by Mark Susko/Special to the SC Daily Gazette)

 
She left the stage to a standing ovation.

Next to take the stage as guest speaker was state Treasurer Curtis Loftis, who is trying to hold on to the job he first won in 2010. Despite senators’ efforts to remove him from office, Loftis said emphatically that he will seek a fifth term in 2026, and he’s willing to dig deep into his own pockets to do it.

The headliner was longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon, who spent four months in federal prison last year for defying a congressional subpoena. In October 2021, Mace was among nine Republicans who joined House Democrats in voting for a resolution calling for criminal contempt charges against Bannon.

“When Congress issues a subpoena, that individual must appear before Congress and invoke (executive) privilege” in person, she said at the time to explain her vote.

On Monday, she praised Bannon, telling the GOP crowd he too has “never backed down” and thanked him for “exposing all the corruption.”

Without mentioning her 2021 vote, she said, “I know now everything he says is true.”

Convention attendees told the Gazette they believe Mace definitely has a chance of becoming the next governor, citing her loyalty to Trump and name recognition.

A Winthrop Poll in February found that South Carolinians were more familiar with Mace than any other potential Republican candidate for governor they were asked about.

Mace has been criticized recently for not holding an in-person town hall to answer her constituents’ questions. She has repeatedly cited safety concerns as the reason why.

She held a virtual town hall last week, though she didn’t promote it or give advance notice.

“We will do in-person town halls as soon as it’s safe to do so,” she told reporters at the convention. “But I’ve had multiple bomb threats. I’ve had people threaten to blow up my office multiple times.”

If she runs, Mace is expected to be part of a crowded field that will potentially include Lt. Gov. Pam Evette, Attorney General Alan Wilson, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, and state Sens. Sean Bennett of Summerville and Josh Kimbrell of Spartanburg County.

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About the Author:

Shaun Chornobroff covers the state legislature for the South Carolina Daily Gazette. 

SC Daily Gazette is part of States Newsroom, the nation's largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.  

What Say You? Got something you'd like to say? Letter to the Editor (Guest Column), praises, criticism, hate mail, news story tip or just want to say, howdy. Send them to Tony@palmettoexaminer.com 

South Carolina school district sees “amazing” results with new "unconventional" pilot program that pays money for students' perfect attendance

 

Written by: Tony J. Spain, Palmetto Examiner
April 14, 2025

CHARLESTON, SC (PE)--A new incentive program to encourage and improve school attendance launched earlier last month by Charleston County School District,South Carolina, pays families for a student’s perfect attendance.

“During COVID South Carolina experienced a significant percentage of students chronically absent from its classrooms and from the engagement with teachers. Even virtually nearly 25 percent of students specifically were chronically absent,” said Anita Huggins, Superintendent of Schools, Charleston County School District. “This is a national problem and we’re not immune to it here in South Carolina and specifically here in Charleston.”

The nine-week pilot program allows Charleston County School District to pay students in eligible grades and schools $25 dollars a week, per student to at least 1900 students and their families.

The program started March 10 and students from ten selected grades and ten schools will be eligible to continuously participate as long as they maintain perfect attendance every week through May 16.

Eligible schools in the program are Ellington Elementary, Midland Park Primary, Lambs Elementary, Ladson Elementary, A.C. Corcoran Elementary, Goodwin Elementary, Morningdale Middle, Simmons Pickney Middle, North Charleston High and West Ashley High.

There are no limits to how many students in one household are eligible, and students in a selected school are eligible regardless of prior history of attendance. Those who are eligible for the program sign up through an app that uses Bills.com to track where the money is spent. Payments are put on a debit card for Parents or guardians or students 18 years or older. Cardholders are limited to using the card to only necessities like gas, transportation, utilities or food, and the early data shows the money is being used primarily for rideshares like uber and lyft, public transportation, groceries and utilities.

The incentive for the pilot program comes from the Weighted Student Funding Formula, which the district allocates the money from its General Operating Fund, approved through 2026. That fund is supported by taxpayers. Any money not used will be returned to the fund balance to be reappropriated on June 30 and the cards will be closed.

Charleston County School District ChiefFinancial Officer Daniel Prentice estimated that if every affected student achieves attendance within the selected nine weeks, the cost would be around $400,000. The pilot allocated $30,800 in week one.

“In theory, if this works, and the data shows significant improvements over human capital investments, it would be a higher priority to provide these rewards,” Prentice said.

The program has not gone without criticism from the public and parents that argue students should be expected to show up for school without being paid.

Huggins says she understands and shares the same concerns and knows the program is unusual, and after senior leaders came up with the program, they also scratched their heads for a moment asking, “Do we really reward students for something we expect them to already do?”  

“We understand that this is a bit unconventional. We will do whatever it takes to get kids in school,” she said. “The results are simply amazing. We are tracking the data very carefully. If the results continue to trend the investment per student will be approximately $225, significantly lower than the nearly $600 per pupil cost associated with our current interventions in regard to attendance and absenteeism.”

The results have been promising with the district reporting significant increases in all 10 schools. All schools, except one, are seeing anywhere from 20 to 30 percent increase in attendance with some grades reaching 100 percent in perfect attendance.

Henry Darby, Principal, North Charleston High School, had his reservations about the program at first, but since seeing it in action for himself says it’s an “idea whose time has come.”

“The school kids love it,” said Darby. “Students are now coming to school.”  

The North Charleston High School principal says he deals with teenagers that have a lot more going on in their life than just school like jobs, childcare and transportation. Darby says many of those students who were absent weren’t absent just to be absent.

“Those students who were absent weren’t absent to just be absent,” he said. “A number of these kids have jobs. When you have a student who works at Dunkin and close it at 11 at closing time for a 16-year-old child, that says something.”

James Dallas, Principle, E.B. Ellington Elementary School, has also acknowledged the success of the program and addressed the criticism of rewarding attendance by saying we’ve always rewarded perfect attendance, just not monetarily, that’s what is different.

“I know this is unconventional. It’s something that people are not accustomed to, but it is working in our building. Our kindergarten, fifth grade numbers are really off the charts. We’ve seen significant growth in the number of students who are coming to school every day,” said Dallas. “Since I’ve been doing this for 37 years, we’ve always incentivized students for perfect attendance this is just a different, a new and unique way of doing that and we’re seeing success.”

Still critics remain skeptical about the program. A parent, who requested anonymity, praised the improved, but is more concerned about the academic performance.  

“I’d rather they give incentives for good grades than attendance,” she said.

But educators say they can’t teach those who aren’t there, and the attendance issue is the start of the academic process.

“We’re thrilled with what we’re seeing. That seat time is so critical,” said Kayela Clark, Principal, Lambs Creek Elementary School. “One of our teachers when I was talking to them about it said you know we’re not magicians. We can’t teach them if they’re not here and so getting our kids in school getting them happy to be there showing up every day is a big game changer for us.”

Huggins is asking the public to keep an open mind to the unusual program as they try to get the best outcome for students' futures any way they can.

“We’re really thinking outside the box about how to get our children in school and keep our children in school, and make sure that all children leave this system college, career, military ready which is what all kids deserve,” Huggins said. “We beg the public’s patience with us. We again know this is unconventional thinking outside the box thinking some might even call it strange and thwarted thinking, but we plan on being very transparent with the data.

The district plans to analyze the results of the program after May 16. The focus will be on improved attendance rates and the performance of students in academics at the end-of-course exams.

“After a nine-week pilot, whatever the results are we see here. We can apply to whatever we do in the future, whether that be to continue this work or to say listen that doesn’t work either. Let’s find something else,” Huggins said.  

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About the Author: 

Tony Spain is a former candidate for Richland County Council 2020 and an award winning former military photographer and journalist while in the Public Affairs Office for the U.S. Army. His photos and writing have been published in numerous publications such as The Commercial News, Danville, Ill.; The Paraglide, Fort Bragg, N.C.; Soldier of Fortune Magazine; The State Newspaper, Columbia, S.C., and more.

He lives in Columbia, S.C.

 

What Say You? Got something you'd like to say? Letter to the Editor (Guest Column), praises, criticism, hate mail, news story tip or just want to say, howdy. Send them to Tony@palmettoexaminer.com

News and Views from Around the Stare: April 13, 2025

 

Columbia: Despite rain and a chance for storms, a large crowd showed up to see National Conservative Talk Show Host Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA, at the University of South Carolina campus Monday. The event was cut short because of rain, but a great interaction was had with several students who disagreed and agreed with Kirk. 

Pickens County: The South Carolina Forestry Commission announced Tuesday the Table Rock and Persimmon Ridge wildfires are 100 percent contained. More than 10,000 acres were burned in the largest wildfire in South Carolina history.

Lowcountry: The South Carolina Regional Development Alliance reports that the first quarter of 2025 has brought significant growth to South Carolina’s Lowcountry counties. 

SC Supreme Court: South Carolina’s highest court rejected the last major appeal from Mikal Mahdi Monday to spare his life. Mahdi is scheduled to be executed by firing squad on Friday for the ambush killing of an off-duty police officer.

Aiken County: The Masters, pimento cheese, green jackets, and tax breaks? How real estate lobbyists got the Masters exemption, a 14 day a year rental income exemption, into the US Tax Code.

Food and Drink: Charleston: Restaurants worried about profitability with tariffs on wine and that diners may just stay home, which could ruin an already stable wine industry. Not the wine! And yes, I want cheese with my whine!

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What Say You? Got something you'd like to say? Letter to the Editor (Guest Column), praises, criticism, hate mail, news story tip or just want to say, howdy. Send them to Tony@palmettoexaminer.com

State Treasurer Curtis Loftis isn’t going away quietly; files petition with State Supreme Court and announces reelection bid as more than a decade fight continues

 

Written by: Tony J. Spain, Palmetto Examiner
April 11, 2025

COLUMBIA, SC (PE)—South Carolina State Treasurer Curtis Loftis announced his attorneys have filed a petition with the state Supreme Court Thursday to stop a hearing that could remove him from office.

The Senate Finance committee is attempting to remove Loftis from office for “willfully neglected duties” stemming from a $1.8 million accounting error, which only existed on paper and does not involve actual money according to an independent audit.  

The court filing comes after State Senators initiated a rare constitutional process known as “removal on address” and schedules a hearing for April 21. The Senate’s stated procedures for the hearing allow no witnesses to be called, no objections to me made by the parties, and does not even establish requirements for a quorum of members to be present.

“This injunction is about ensuring fairness, transparency, and adherence to the rule of law, said Loftis. “I am asking the Supreme Court to step in and clarify whether the Senate is authorized to overturn a state election using this provision. The people of South Carolina deserve a process that upholds the law and the democratic principles they have entrusted to us.”

In his petition, Loftis cited Article XV of State code as evidence making the argument the constitutional section only applies to “state officers elected by the General Assembly” and “has certainly never been applied to statewide elected officials”

“No statewide elected official has ever been impeached or removed from office under the current State Constitution,” the petition says. “The State constitution clearly establishes a process for impeachment of officials elected on a statewide basis. The House of Representatives alone shall have the power of impeachment in cases of serious crimes or serious misconduct in office.”

“We trust the Supreme Court will provide the guidance needed to resolve this matter justly,” Loftis added. “My focus remains on serving the people of South Carolina and safeguarding their financial interest, as I have done throughout my tenure.”

Loftis has consistently maintained that the Senate’s actions are politically motivated and lack merit and an independent audit determined the bookkeeping errors were within the Comptroller General’s accounting system—not missing funds.

Sen. Larry Grooms, R-Berkley, who chairs the powerful Senate Sub Committee trying to remove Loftis, shares a different sentiment.

“I’m not saying there was a crime. I’m not saying there was a cover-up. But we knew that errors occurred and that the folks responsible for those errors chose not to try to correct them,” Grooms told reporters after a January report from an independent audit found the mistake was the result of an accounting error when the state converted from an old accounting system to a new one, and the Comptroller General’s Office classified entries as cash instead of budget dollars that was not real money. “The state’s books were a mess, but the problem began—and let me make this clear—the problem began in the State Treasurer’s Office.”

Groom’s subcommittee investigated the Comptroller General’s Office in 2023 for a related $3.5 billion accounting error. Legislative scrutiny was able to force Comptroller Richard Eskstrom to resign and the elected position be replaced by an appointment with Brian J. Gaines.

Now Grooms and his committee are on the attack against Loftis calling for his resignation while calling him a “liar” and his actions “treasonous” while under Senate immunity protections from any kind of libel or slander.

Loftis had announced last year his plans to retire and not seek re-election but has changed his mind and decided to fight back against the allegations against him and announced his bid for re-election accusing the Senate subcommittee of running a campaign of lies against him protected by immunity from the Senate floor.

“They have no obligation to tell the truth. They have protection if they slander you. They can libel you and conspire, and there’s nothing you can do about it,” Loftis said in an interview with Will Folks, FitsNews. “I walk into the room; I have to swear to tell the truth the whole truth. They can throw me in jail for perjury.”

This is not the first time Loftis has found himself in the cross hairs. He has been under scrutiny, investigated and threatened to be removed for more than a decade.

Since blowing the whistle in 2013 on the mismanagement of the State pension, they’ve been coming for Loftis. But that hasn't stopped him.  

In 2014, Loftis disclosed that the SC Retirement System Investment Commission was paying hundreds of millions per year in hidden fees to their special interests Wall Street friends, and in 2016 he called out the SC Investment Commission for costing the state $7 billion on bad investments.  

Loftis was first elected in 2010 to the Treasurer’s Office and was looking forward to retirement, but said he now must stay.

“I’m going to run again and I’m going to spend the money to buy ads to tell what’s happening. I can afford it and I’m going to do it,” he told Folks announcing his reelection bid. “I’ve got to stay. I can’t turn my back. I lost both my parents in the last few years and if my dad knew I turned my back when I was needed the most, you know I can’t do that.”

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About the Author:

Tony Spain is a former candidate for Richland County Council 2020 and an award winning former military photographer and journalist while in the Public Affairs Office for the U.S. Army. His photos and writing have been published in numerous publications such as The Commercial News, Danville, Ill.; The Paraglide, Fort Bragg, N.C.; Soldier of Fortune Magazine; The State Newspaper, Columbia, S.C., and more.

He lives in Columbia, S.C.

What Say You? Got something you'd like to say? Letter to the Editor (Guest Column), praises, criticism, hate mail, news story tip or just want to say, howdy. Send them to Tony@palmettoexaminer.com