I wrote a while back that The Palmetto Scoop had obtained the official hit list of Gov. Mark Sanford. In hindsight, I guess I should have realized our list was bad when it included Megatron, Shockwave, Scorponok, Lord Zarak, Thunderwing and a bunch of other Transformers. Regardless, the real list was released today by the Columbia Free Times and it has been “all the rage” throughout the South Carolina blogosphere.
It’s no secret that Sanford and the General Assembly don’t get along and several legislators and political consultants believe the governor — by proxy through the group South Carolinians for Responsible Government (SCRG) — targeted several GOP legislators in the 2006 elections. But, no one could produce a list or a plan of action. This time, SCRG appears to have taken a back seat to S.C. Club for Growth in trying to remake the General Assembly in the governor’s image, or as it’s phrased in a secret proposal to the group, “reshuffling the legislative deck.”
“It’s common knowledge all over Columbia,” said Rep. Carl Gullick, a Rock Hill Republican whose name appears on a leaked legislative hit list. “Basically, as a Republican, the governor is eating his young. It’s sick.”
The list on which Gullick’s name appears can be found in a proposal that former Sanford spokesman Will Folks allegedly submitted to the organization S.C. Club for Growth naming 31 legislators to be considered for targeting in the ‘08 primaries. The list names 27 Republicans and four Democrats.
The proposal, which was leaked by sources close to S.C. Club for Growth, states that the genesis of Folks’ involvement grew from an “unscheduled, hour-long” meeting between himself and the governor on Aug. 26 and a subsequent email from Folks to the governor outlining a strategy to target certain members of the General Assembly who are up for re-election this year. [...]
Chad Walldorf, a Beaufort County businessman and former deputy chief of staff to Sanford, is the chair of S.C. Club for Growth and confirmed on Dec. 26 that he’d been submitted a proposal that listed a group of targeted legislators. Walldorf said the author of the proposal was Folks and that the S.C. Club for Growth had not rejected the proposal but also had “yet to act” on it. Walldorf said Folks had “never received a penny” from S.C. Club for Growth.
The proposal, titled “Thoughts on creating a more conservative Republican majority in S.C.” was submitted by Folks to the S.C. Club for Growth “months ago,” according to Walldorf, and contains excerpts of an email Folks sent to the governor about targeting specific GOP legislators in the ‘08 primaries.
The list of “possible legislative targets” names 11 members of the S.C. State Senate and 20 members of the State House of Representatives.
Folks, on Dec. 27, neither confirmed nor denied authorship of the proposal.
Folks covered the story on his Website, FITSNews, but didn’t offer any additional information. Either way, this should serve to fan the flames of the governmental branch warfare.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008 at 12:30 pm and is filed under Executive, Legislature. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Will put a statement out about this a little while ago…unfortunately it’s not in a format I can cut and paste here…
As per his style, he didn’t say anything, either. You’d think that he’d take credit for it.
This story is a fine piece of investigative journalism, and we should welcome it as there is precious little of that in SC.
But it is more than a story about a “hit list”, it is a tome about hidden money and the secret world of high finance and politics. Millions and millions of dollars are raised and though their spending is found fortune, power and glory. I can only hope that others will investigate this affair, and determine WHO and WHY these millions of dollars have been so quietly given to Mark Sanford and his crony’s.
There are all kinds of “coincidences” between these Sanford front groups. One of the largest Club for Growth donors is Harlan Crowe of Dallas Texas ….and guess who gave $100,000.00 to Carolinians For Reform (the group to whom Mark Sanford gave $101,000 of State money)…Harlan Crowe of Texas!
No connection…naw, no connection at all.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Thomas Ravenel Sentencing Postponed
Federal prosecutors have asked to postpone Monday’s scheduled sentencing for former state Treasurer Thomas Ravenel, saying one of the case agents won’t be available.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Supervisory Special Agent Robert Waizenhofer is out of the district on assignment and wouldn’t be able to appear.
Officials asked for a continuance of 30 days. The request also includes the sentencing for Ravenel co-defendant Michael L. Miller. Attorneys for both defendants do not object to the delay, a court filing said.
The two men have pleaded guilty to cocaine charges.
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2008/jan/23/ravenel_sentencing_postponed/
January 15, 2008
Ravenel, Co-defendant in Drug Case to be Sentenced
COLUMBIA (AP) — Former South Carolina Treasurer Thomas Ravenel will be sentenced January 28 on a federal cocaine charge.
Ravenel pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine in September. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine, though his plea agreement calls for a reduced sentence because he is helping prosecutors with their investigation.
Ravenel’s attorneys have argued in court documents that he should not be given any prison time.
The U.S. attorney’s office says Ravenel will be sentenced on January 28 along with his co-defendant, Michael Miller, of Charleston.
Miller admitted to selling cocaine to Ravenel, who shared it with friends. Miller pleaded guilty to two federal drug charges.
http://www.wltx.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=57385
why do a few South Carolinians do all the choosing> does anyone else perceive that as a huge problem>??
[...] Hotline has the story posted, and so does The Palmetto Scoop. Even Sic Willie as the article’s subject addresses [...]
Thursday, January 24, 2008
3rd man sought in Ravenel drug case
FBI searching for Pellicoro overseas, U.S. attorney says
Next week’s sentencing of former state Treasurer Thomas Ravenel has been postponed, while the U.S. Attorney for South Carolina remains optimistic that the third figure in the cocaine case will be brought to justice.
Pasquale Pellicoro, a one-time local wine expert and Ravenel friend, hasn’t been heard from since September and is believed to be living in Europe.
U.S. Attorney Reggie Lloyd said Wednesday that he expects Pellicoro to be located and that the FBI has been working with overseas authorities to find him.
“They do have some leads,” he said. “We hope at some point very soon to have him do the right thing and come face these allegations.”
Pellicoro, a native of Italy, was 53 when he fled South Carolina in September shortly after he was named in a charge of conspiracy with intent to distribute cocaine. After claiming he was in Switzerland, he has not been heard from since. He was not required to surrender his passport before his arraignment, officials said. His cell phone is no longer in service.
Lloyd said he knows of no one who is representing Pellicoro’s interests in the case, such as a lawyer, either in the U.S. or overseas.
“You can only hide for so long,” said Lloyd, who recently was nominated by Gov. Mark Sanford to lead the State Law Enforcement Division.
Lloyd’s comments came as Monday’s scheduled sentencing for Ravenel and co-defendant Michael Miller was moved back. One of the case agents is out of the state on assignment and wouldn’t be able to appear next week, prosecutors said. They asked for a delay of 30 days.
U.S. District Judge Joseph F. Anderson Jr. agreed to the move. A new date will be announced later.
Ravenel pleaded guilty in September to one count of conspiracy with intent to distribute cocaine. He resigned his treasurer’s post in June after just a few months on the job. Prosecutors said Ravenel used the drug during parties at his home in Charleston but did not sell it. Miller, a local deejay, pleaded guilty to conspiracy with intent to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
Pellicoro earlier said he’d met Ravenel at a language school years ago when Pellicoro was instructing him in French. He later became part of a circle of people who would congregate with Ravenel at homes in Charleston after the bars closed, he said.
Lloyd said the case won’t necessarily end once Ravenel and Miller are sentenced, saying others might be targeted in what started out as an investigation into the cocaine problem in Charleston.
“The arrests and indictments of these individuals do not represent the sum total of our efforts,” Lloyd said.
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2008/jan/24/rd_man_sought_ravenel_drug_case28486/