Gov. Nikki Haley's Campaign To Repay South Carolina Thousands For Security On Fundraising Trips

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley's (R) campaign will repay the state thousands of dollars for using a state-funded security detail during fundraising trips, state and campaign officials said Monday.

The exact amount to be reimbursed hasn't been released, but The Charleston Post and Courier reports that the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division spent at least $16,000 providing security to Haley during fundraising events through December 2011, not including agents' pay. The campaign will repay the money after June 30, the end of the fiscal year.

The use of state resources for a political campaign is prohibited by state law. Government watchdogs and Democrats have said Haley should have reimbursed the money sooner. Marisa Crawford, a Haley campaign aide, said the decision was made because it was easier to repay the money all at once.

Haley recently went on a national book tour to promote her memoir, "Can't Is Not An Option."

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Comments

[kathy smelser]

10:43 AM on 05/01/2012

she knew it was against the law and still did it ....after paying back the money with interest she should be thrown out of office for theft

[yiasounina]

05:37 PM on 04/18/2012

FYI Ms. nobody significant... our President Obama is a true GENTLEMAN, HARD WORKING, HAS GOOD VALUES...I can go on and on..but why should I waist my time for your disrespectful attitude towards our gracious president.
President Obama is our choice this November 2012!
Add that to your spice instead of curry...

[askandtell]

10:33 PM on 04/30/2012

100% agree; F&F.

[jkarov]

05:15 PM on 04/18/2012

Imagine that.
Palin had to repay the State of Alaska for 312 days per diem where she slept in her own bed. Palin endorsed Haley.
Haley now does something similar.
Typical politicians claiming how much integrity they have, except when they want to spend the people's money for their own stuff.

[reagansthemanofalltime]

05:03 PM on 04/18/2012

Bigoted Dems go at it again.

This time with an Indian.

Nothing politically correct about liberal/"progressive."

Living in the dark ages.

[cheeriogirl]

10:40 PM on 04/18/2012

Using race to deflect/defend against Nikki Haley's legal troubles -that she brought on herself- is despicable.

[reagansthemanofalltime]

01:20 AM on 04/19/2012

Woa! Wait a minute!

"Using race...is despicable."

Nobody but nobody plays the race card like you jokers.

I can tell you don't like how it feels.

Mission accomplished.

[arrow7]

05:01 PM on 04/18/2012

Another corrupt elected official who won't be punished for her selfish greed. She should get on the Mars shuttle with Newt and mittins.... And ...of course.....it isn't her fault.

[Huzie]

04:59 PM on 04/18/2012

She is a fraud, on so many levels

[BulldogDad]

04:39 PM on 04/18/2012

I see nothing wrong with the state providing security for her. After all, she is the Gov. of South Carolina. I bet the people complaining have no problem with the state providing security for the football coaches of Clemson and USC.

[lightnessandjoy]

05:02 PM on 04/18/2012

Political fundraising isn't state business.

[BulldogDad]

07:58 PM on 04/19/2012

Neither is football but the football teams and coaches have security teams paid for by the state. It doesn't matter what the governor is doing, she still needs the security. Remember, Giffords was on a fundraiser when she was shot. Strom Thurmond had State Police drive him everywhere and nobody complained.

[Moderate Independent]

04:38 PM on 04/18/2012

Haley is on pace to be the new object of liberal scorn. Palin, Bachmann, O'Donnell, Whitman, Florina, and Angle have all been destroyed or diminished. She is next on the list. A question for progressives, is there a single conservative woman that the left respects? Or are they all evil in the eyes of the libs?

[kathy smelser]

10:48 AM on 05/01/2012

they are not only evil in the eyes of 99% of Average Americans ...they are also evil in the eyes of GOD ...for their treatment of Average Americans

[PCPrincess]

04:38 PM on 04/18/2012

Whose entitled? I thought it was those poor folks who were the entitled ones.

[MSaxe]

04:35 PM on 04/18/2012

They forgot the subtitle to Haley's book, "Can't Is Not An Option."

"But Won't Works Just Fine".

[den1953]

04:27 PM on 04/18/2012

She barely paid off her hiking gear yet and now the people of SC want her to pay off her free ride with SC tax payer money gee give the poor woman a break it is hard work being a housewife, oh and the Governor!

[hollywoody5000]

04:12 PM on 04/18/2012

This woman comes off as very shady, suspicious and disingenuous & untrustworthy with very devious right wing fanatical plans to control the masses. She scares me

[den1953]

04:27 PM on 04/18/2012

F&F but how do you really feel about her? lol

[DMDAY44]

04:28 PM on 04/18/2012

Maybe you would feel differently if she flew around in a 747 that cost $180,000 per hour to operate with a full security detail, all at taxpayer's expense.

[MSaxe]

04:36 PM on 04/18/2012

How many presidents have been doing that?

So you want a "Stay at Home, President"?

[Clevella]

04:10 PM on 04/18/2012

She should hire Ted Nugent for her security detail. Even if Ted can't protect her, all the Secret Service following Ted could help.

[jeffbiss]

03:58 PM on 04/18/2012

Ah, entitlement.

[LOLocrat]

03:48 PM on 04/18/2012

Some facts to put this article in its proper context:

On an Aug. 5, 2008, job application, Haley claimed she earned $125,000 a year in her previous job. In fact, in 2007, Haley worked at her family's clothing business and earned only $22,000.

"I'm not concerned about it," Haley stated when the story broke. "It was a piece of paper that I didn't fill out, that I didn't sign, that had no information from me on it at all."

And yet the application included Haley’s social security number, address, job history, past supervisors, job duties, education, a security Q & A, plus a user name and password she'd created to apply online.

Still, she got the job (as fundraiser for Lexington Medical Center even though she'd had no experience whatsoever in fundraising) "fair and square" over other candidates.

But emails revealed the $110,000 a year job was created specifically for Haley by the hospital's CEO, Mike Biedinger. Still, only 8 months later, she left -- supposedly to run full-time for Governor.

Again, emails painted a very different picture: after failing to show up at work for two consecutive weeks, LMC wanted to place her on annual leave.

“I do not choose to take annual leave, nor do I consent to ‘being placed on annual leave,’” Haley responded.

Finally, she brought in a lawyer and walked away with a $35,000 severance package plus an agreement from the hospital not to do or say anything to embarrass her.

[Shuey37]

04:59 PM on 04/18/2012

Sounds a lot like the sweet deal Michelle Obama got with her hospital employer. They hired Michelle after Barack helped get them several million dollars in government funds.

[DDay52]

05:24 PM on 04/18/2012

PROVE IT!! Just don't spout groundless charges and innuendo like Fox "News" does!!!

[LOLocrat]

01:40 PM on 04/20/2012

Oh, Shuey37 ...

At least make up some NEW smears, will ya ? The one you're citing came from a bogus email and was de-bunked long ago:

http://www.factcheck.org/2009/05/michelle-obamas-salary/

The simple fact is that the hospital received NO money through Barack Obama -- the earmark he proposed was for a new building but it was voted down !

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/14/us/politics/14campaign.html?_r=1