Most GOP House Members Received Money From Harrell Super PAC Last Year
All donations were in the same amount and given only to Republicans.
Note: The Palmetto Leadership Council is not a Super PAC as previously indicated. It is a Leadership PAC. Super PACs are not permitted to give money directly to candidates.
The PAC affiliated with House Speaker Bobby Harrell donated money to almost all of the Republican House members in the last campaign cycle. The lawmakers each received $1,000 each.
All told, 68 of the 76 of the Republicans in the House received money from the PAC, known as the Palmetto Leadership Council. More than a dozen Senators also received $1,000 contributions from the group.
In the race for House 37, the PAC gave to both Republican candidates, Steve Parker and Donna Wood. Wood ended up winning.
The Palmetto Leadership Council has given millions to other politicians since its inception.
A bill proposed last week by Harrell’s fellow House member Beth Bernstein would make such PACs illegal.
Harrell, who has described the PAC as “pro-business” through a spokesman, has been under fire in the last several months on ethical grounds. In September, he reimbursed himself approximately $300,000 out of his campaign account for travel expenses incurred on his private airplane.
Last week, the South Carolina Policy Council, a longtime thorn in Harrell’s side, accused the speaker of using his position to benefit one of his private businesses, a charge which Harrell refuted.
Of the members of the Legislature who received money from the PAC, four of them now sit on the House Ethics Committee, which would be responsible for investigating ethics charges. Those members are: Jenny Horne, Michael Pitts, Tommy Pope and Murrell Smith.
The chair of the House Ethics Committee, Kenny Bingham, was one of the few lawmakers who did not receive any money from the PAC, according to figures obtained through the South Carolina Ethics Commission.
Bill Whitmire from House District 1, has already received a donation for his re-election effort in 2014.
When told of the breadth of the PAC’s influence, one Republican told Patch, “It looks like (Harrell’s) buying people off and that doesn’t look good.”
The complete list of recipients is below:
| House Member | District | Amount | Notes |
| Rita Allison | 36 | 1,000 | |
| Todd Atwater | 87 | 1,000 | |
| Nathan Ballentine | 71 | 1,000 | |
| Bruce Bannister | 24 | 1,000 | |
| Liston Barfield | 58 | 1,000 | |
| Eric Bedingfield | 28 | 1,000 | |
| Don Bowen | 8 | 1,000 | |
| Doug Brannon | 38 | 1,000 | |
| Bill Chumley | 35 | 1,000 | |
| Alan Clemmons | 107 | 1,000 | |
| Derham Cole | 32 | 1,000 | |
| Heather Crawford | 68 | 1,000 | |
| Kris Crawford | 63 | 1,000 | |
| Bill Crosby | 117 | 1,000 | |
| Joseph Daning | 92 | 1,000 | |
| Greg Delleney | 43 | 1,000 | |
| Shannon Erickson | 124 | 1,000 | |
| Raye Felder | 26 | 1,000 | |
| Kirkman Finlay | 75 | 1,000 | |
| Mike Forrester | 34 | 1,000 | |
| Michael Gambrell | 7 | 1,000 | |
| Craig Gagnon | 11 | 1,000 | |
| Dan Hamilton | 20 | 1,000 | |
| Kevin Hardee | 105 | 1,000 | |
| Nelson Hardwick | 106 | 1,000 | |
| William Herbkersman | 118 | 1,000 | |
| Phyllis Henderson | 21 | 1,000 | |
| Bill Hixon | 83 | 1,000 | |
| Jenny Horne | 94 | 1,000 | On House Ethics Committee |
| Chip Huggins | 85 | 1,000 | |
| Ralph Shealy Kennedy | 39 | 1,000 | |
| Dwight Loftis | 19 | 1,000 | |
| Deborah Long | 45 | 1,000 | |
| Phillip Lowe | 60 | 1,000 | |
| Jay Lucas | 65 | 1,000 | |
| Jim Merrill | 99 | 1,000 | |
| Peter McCoy | 115 | 1,000 | |
| Van Moss | 30 | 1,000 | |
| Chris Murphy | 98 | 1,000 | |
| Wendy Nanney | 22 | 1,000 | |
| Phil Owens | 5 | 1,000 | |
| Andy Patrick | 123 | 1,000 | |
| Michael Pitts | 14 | 1,000 | On House Ethics Committee |
| Tommy Pope | 47 | 1,000 | On House Ethics Committee |
| Josh Putnam | 10 | 1,000 | |
| Rick Quinn | 69 | 1,000 | |
| Robert Riley | 13 | 1,000 | |
| Samuel Rivers | 15 | 1,000 | |
| Bill Sandifer | 2 | 1,000 | |
| Gary Simrill | 46 | 1,000 | |
| B.R. Skelton | 3 | 1,000 | |
| Garry Smith | 27 | 1,000 | |
| J. Roland Smith | 84 | 1,000 | |
| Murrell Smith | 67 | 1,000 | On House Ethics Committee |
| Mike Sottile | 112 | 1,000 | |
| Edward Southard | 100 | 1,000 | |
| Kit Spires | 96 | 1,000 | |
| Tommy Stringer | 18 | 1,000 | |
| Eddie Tallon | 33 | 1,000 | |
| Bill Taylor | 86 | 1,000 | |
| Anne Thayer | 9 | 1,000 | |
| Mac Toole | 88 | 1,000 | |
| Donald Wells | 81 | 1,000 | |
| Brian White | 6 | 1,000 | |
| Bill Whitmire | 1 | 2,000 | |
| Mark Willis | 16 | 1,000 | |
| Donna Wood | 37 | 1,000 |
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Rich39
12:20 pm on Monday, January 28, 2013
Most of the money comes from the North. They still own the south.. or some of our politicans.
Paul
12:20 pm on Monday, January 28, 2013
Good way to secure votes for Speaker.
Frank Sells
11:17 pm on Monday, January 28, 2013
Term limits should be implemented-8 years maximum just like the governor-senators appointed by local councils. I think there is a great need to investigate both the senate and house-the I-526 spur is one reason-developers want it but locals do not-Harrell and McConnell pushed it-McConnell not so much since Lt Governor. I think there may be huge amounts of money infused into that PAC from outside interest. Money is gobbled up by these legislators to fund research like hydrogen fuel-and research chairs at the 3 major universities @ $30 million a year-USC has garnered $200 million thus far with little to show for it- a multistory tech building that has 1 floor filled with research stuff yet no one using it for the most part.
maizenbluedoc
11:17 pm on Monday, January 28, 2013
Happens all the time at all levels of government. Unfortunately people continue to reelect the same people. As long as career politicians remain in power, nothing will ever change.
Greg Adams
11:11 am on Tuesday, February 19, 2013
What part of "political" is missing here?