Emails Out SCPRT Chief’s Involvement in ‘So Gay’ Ad Campaign
LAWMAKERS CALL FOR PROPER ACCOUNTABILITY IN MATTER
When Chad Prosser, Director of the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism learned his agency was promoting the state as being “So Gay,” he supposedly took immediate action to end the campaign and accepted the resignation of the employee who initially approved the $5,000 expenditure.
“I do not believe that it is appropriate to use state tourism marketing funds to support any specific social agenda, nor would we ever knowingly do so,” Prosser said in a July 11 press release.
But emails obtained by The Palmetto Scoop through the Freedom of Information Act show Prosser instructed his staff “DO NOT ask the vendor to remove South Carolina from the campaign” on July 3 — a full week before The Palmetto Scoop broke the initial story of the “So Gay” campaign.
Upon learning of the documents, various lawmakers called for proper accountability in the matter.
Rep. Rex Rice (R-Pickens) said he will continue to sponsor “Sunset Legislation” to provide for a regular comprehensive audit and reauthorization of each and every state agency.
“Those findings highlight the need for added accountability, transparency, and oversight in State Government,” Said Rice. “At days end, it is inconceivable and inexcusable that any state employee would approve this use of tax dollars and any cabinet level official would permit the continuation of such activities.”
Additional emails show that Prosser even briefed Joel Sawyer, Gov. Mark Sanford’s Press Secretary, on the campaign a full week before the story broke.
Documents also confirm that the “low-level employee” who approved the campaign and eventually resigned was Rand Romaine, PRT’s Sales Manager for International Tourism. Romaine was in fact a middle management employee who was within PRT’s current standard jurisdiction when he approved the campaign and its creative on May 20.
“I am disappointed that both PRT and officials within the Governor’s Office had some knowledge of the ‘So Gay’ campaign prior to news coverage and thought it was appropriate to ever consider using tax dollars to promote the homosexual lifestyle,” said Rep Greg Delleney (R-Chester). “And I am disappointed that a low level state employee was a made a scapegoat.”
The Palmetto Scoop has put together timeline, which shows that senior PRT officials learned of the “So Gay” campaign — which ran through July 12 — as early as the morning of its launch on June 30.
Documents show senior PRT officials became aware of the ad campaign when PRT Communications Director Marion Edmonds mocked on June 30, “I leave for one week and you guys go and hire a replacement for me and change our entire orientation! You could have let me know!”
In that email, Edmonds attached the initial details of the campaign to PRT’s “Directorate” and “Public Relations and Information” listserve accounts.
Three days later, on the morning of July 3, Chief of Staff Amy Duffy wrote Edmonds, “Shocked you haven’t gotten calls yet!” and included pictures of the poster sent from a friend whose employee “was in London last week and saw the attached poster in the underground.”
Later that morning, Edmonds retorted, “The article has run on two other newswires so far, but both cater primarily to Europeans. I have asked Rand to pull a couple of paragraphs together outlining our involvement including financial, and he sent me some good background. If you need to see a copy of it, just let me know.”
Edmonds added that, “I’m praying this little story doesn’t jump the pond, especially as the late summer slow news cycle sets in. I hadn’t seen the photo of the poster. Let’s hope that doesn’t get picked up by some SC tourist and brought back. It would be a classic case of a picture doing the damage of a thousand words.”
An hour later, Duffy sent Prosser a heads up. “C – please see the attached poster – a friend sent it to me (email below),” she said. “Bottom of this email is background from Rand. Just wanted to give you a head’s up.”
Six hours later, after a plethora of inter-office e-mails discussing the matter, Beverly Shelley, PRT’s Director of Sales and Marketing emailed Romaine, “Per Chad’s direction as of 4:40 p.m. today, DO NOT ask the vendor to remove South Carolina from the campaign.”
Additional e-mails obtained by The Palmetto Scoop show that Prosser briefed Sawyer around that time.
“Joel, Adam Fogle with the Palmetto Scoop has sent me an email with questions re the campaign Chad [Prosser] discussed with you at the end of last week,” Edmonds wrote in a July 7 email to Sawyer. “He probably won’t create a blog until we speak tomorrow, but he does have a press release he found on the web…Email or call if you need more info.”
Both Prosser’s directive and his meeting with Sawyer appear to contradict his July 10 statement, “I do not believe that it is appropriate to use state tourism marketing funds to support any specific social agenda, nor would we ever knowingly do so.”
As The Palmetto Scoop continues to connect the dots of this story and examine the reams of documents provided by PRT, we promise to bring you continued updates and breaking news.
Still to come, South Carolina is So Straight, South Carolina is So Butch, South Carolina is So Black, South Carolina is So White, and finally and best of all South Carolina is So Stupid
Looks like the A.P. is as dumb as the rest of the press.
http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8775849
Maybe they should have looked actually read there documents before publishing or done a better job getting info from the parks people, Morons.
Can you squeal like a pig? Ask Ned Beatty. He’s sure to remember his encounter in Deliverance.
We do not need gays in S.C. to promote their wicked lifestyle. God clearly condems it. Although, I do believe that Christians should welcome them into church and help them to turn away from homosexuality. Only by hearing God’s word and developing Christions self help groups and through Christian counseling will they be able to change. Many people do not understand why people are gay but I would encourage people to read “How to keep your child from being homosexual”. This book explains through scientific studies that boys have not bonded with their fathers, due to critism, verbal abuse, physical abuse, or just by being very emotionally distant with their son. Therefore, this causes the child to not like or take on his father’s identity (role) and he learns to identify with the mother as she tries to protect him and he feels safe. There are other reasons as well, but in Nicolosi’s National studies, he never counseled a homosexual that was very close to his father or that has BONDED with him. As Christians, we need to pray for the confused child to follow God’s path of rightousness and for Christians to stop being so hateful and judgemental and to keep praying for S.C. to be a state of heterosexuals but one to help pray for the gays that they can change their lifestyle. By doing this Chistians need to be able to be more accepting and compassionate for them. As Jesus said to the adulterous woman, “Let the one that has not sinned cast the first stone.”
Check out the website and you will find that SC is still promoted. Essentially, Charleston, Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head. Just lovely!!! What needs to be done to remove SC from this promotion?
At some point, isn’t it shameful that so much time and money has been spent attacking/defending a <$5K advertising campaign? Come on people. We live in a state that can’t afford fuel and buses for schools and consistently throws money at special interests. We have bigger problems.
Congratulations on making sure that all those gay people with disposable income don’t drop any of their cash here. I’d hate for the state to have access to any money that didn’t come straight out of the tax-paying citizens’ pockets.
missed the most important E-mail.
http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20080801/APN/808011208
“c” said DO NOT PULL THE AD, Then lied to everyone. Wheres that e-mail in Jimys story?
Crack journalism jimmy.
We recently relocated to Columbia from Seattle, and were worried that there might be some cultural differences there that we’d have to get used to.
It’s good to see that all across the country people spend their time worrying about small amounts of government money spent on meaningless topics, while ignoring major problems like education, infrastructure and poverty.
Before you ask — neither my wife nor I are currently gay, but we would consider it for better rates on travel.
South Carolina has larger problems that this gay ad campaign…….
With the continued posts on this subject, you’re like some lost hiker in the desert trying to suck the last little bit of moisture out of a cactus. Or something.
I never doubted that a low-level employee was scapegoated, although all these emails actually show is that higher-ups knew of the campaign well after it was underway. That’s hardly the relevant question, even under your seriously-skewed perspective that this is a story worthy of attention.
You are operating under a theory of blogging that says bringing attention to your blog trumps all other considerations. I’ve not seen you anywhere explain what you want the consequences of your stories on this asinine issue to be. If you’ve given any thought at all to that, one of those consequences, obviously, is that gay tourists do not come to SC. Mission accomplished.
OK, now do this: If you don’t want gay tourists here, how about gay residents? Want to run them off too? Or if not run them off, how about maybe just make life more difficult for them? Because, again, if you’ve given any thought at all to the consequences of fanning these flames, you’ll realize you’re simply making life harder for gay and lesbian residents of this state, including the vulnerable teens who make up that statistic indicating they’re four times more likely to attempt suicide.
There may be good reasons to have a continued discussion about the underlying substantive issues raised by homosexuality. But button-pushing for the sake of button-pushing is stupid and damaging on many levels. And don’t try to tell me that trying to create a controversy about a $5000 ad buy is anything but button-pushing.
Actions have consequences. Even idiotic blog posts about trivial crap. Think about it.
Ok Adam, fair enough; you’ve demonstrated you can use the FOIA.
Now use it for something less asinine.
So, when are you going to put a “God hates fags” logo on this site?
I note with interest that you have received both positive and negative comments about your coverage. That means you are doing a good job in my opinion. If you have no comments, or they all from one side, then you have failed in your jounalistic mission. You apparently have nailed it. BTW, Tina is going to Hell.
If South Carolina is intent on bringing our Creator’s wrath down on the state, this is a great way to attempt it! Or maybe SC thinks it is the first jurisdiction to try such a thing and prosper. God tells us in His Word that there is woe to those “who put evil for good, and good for evil; bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter; darkness for light, and light for darkness.” “The wicked shall be turned in to hell, and all nations (states?) that forget God!” God loves every person on the planet, including all homosexuals, (to whom He offers forgiveness and new life through the death and amazing resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ) but He hates abominable acts (which He has proscribed - His prerogative as Creator) and warns of irresistable consequences for those who disregard His Word and mock His loving instruction. John Hansen
And so is John Hansen!
I vote that all the sin-free folks get to hit the beach first.
Forget the moral issues…The agency lied about who, what, when where and why about this promo.
I think state government is a joke. But, I think McLovin here needs a new hobby.
Beating a dead horse gets real boring, real fast.