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LT. GOV. CANDIDATE BUYS $3,707 IN BOOKS FROM CAMPAIGN ACCOUNT
In his quest to become South Carolina’s next lieutenant governor, attorney Bill Connor sure is spending a lot of money. Connor has reported raising $164,521 for his campaign, but has burned through $126,505 of it.
So where is the money going?
Most of it appears to have been spent on salary, travel and campaign communications like direct mail. But Connor did report a pair of interesting expenditures during the third quarter.
According to his recently-filed campaign disclosure, the Orangeburg Republican spent a combined $3,707 purchasing copies of his own book.
The book, titled “Articles from War,” is “the unique war memoir, written through articles back home, of a lawyer called to war as an American Infantry officer who fought alongside British royalty.” Connor served as an Army Joint Operations Officer in Afghanistan.
Connor spokesman Joshua Gross said giving away copies of your own books is a perk of being a published politician.
“When you have a candidate who’s an author, you get to do book signings and gift signed copies to veteran leaders and pastors,” Gross said on Twitter.
The book was purchased through an online vendor, BuyBooksOnTheWeb.com. “Articles From War” sells for $12.95 on the website, meaning that Connor bought at least 200 copies of the book using campaign funds.
Gross did not say whether the books were purchased at retail price or if Connor received a discount.
Wait, wait, wait, wait a minute.
So Bill Connor is using campaign contributions to purchase copies of the book that he authored, and his campaign rep explains this is to give them away as gifts to pastors and vets?
Is this a responsible way to use campaign donations that other people have given to your campaign?
If a candidate wants to give away copies of a book they authored, what is probably called for is for the candidate to purchase his books with his own money out-of-pocket.
This is funny.
Adam Fogle, in his role as blogspeaker for the Ard/Cahaly campaign jumps on Connor for purchasing his book to give to supporters.
I fail to see anything at all wrong with that. It’s no different than putting together a mailer to send to supporters. You have to buy those as well.
Kudos to Bill Connor not only for his service but for being published as well. I’ve read parts of this book and it is a fascinating read.
Adam needs to get on his guy Ard for not filing his financial disclosure as yet.
Waiting for Friday evening?
Adam,
Thanks for telling this story, and especially thanks for the link to Bill’s book!
Clicking the link is a great way to support education – all of Bill’s profits from the book go to low tuition Christian schools in South Carolina.
Your support of Christian schools is greatly appreciated.
The response from the books has been phenomenal.
Joshua Gross
Campaign Manager
Connor for Lt. Gov.
I was given an autobiographical book from the Jeremiah Denton campaign in the 1980s and it was a great read. The campaign paid for the book–what’s the big deal?
As Mr. Gross just pointed out, Bill Conner is a man of excellent character. I saw him speak recently at USC and can testify that he has a sound Constitutional understanding of the proper roles of government–state and federal–as well.
Bill cuts through all the garbage and just tells the truth. It will be very entertaining watching his good ol’ boy attackers trip on their own two feet as the campaign intensifies. Dirty politics don’t work on an honest man.
Adam, You screwed this one up, as much as I might enjoy your blog much of the time. The purchase of those books is like buying campaign literature and I bet you know a lot of about that. I have seen those books, signed and unsigned, be given away to citizens interested in Bill Connor and to pastors throughout the state. ALL proceeds, every penny above cost, from the sale of these books goes to support non-profit Christian schools that cannot charge the tuition to cover all of their educational expenses. So when you try to disparage the candidate or his staff for spending money for those books, see how stupid it makes you appear? I expect more from you, Adam Fogle.
It’s still wierd.
If there’s this much self-dealing in the campaign, just imagine if he became Lite Gov.
This is outrageous. Why, that’s like running for office and paying your own campaign consulting firm to do the work.
Oh, wait…
This is a story? Seems like a slow news day if someone thinks this is worthy of a story and blog.
I think Bill Connor will make an excellent leader for South Carolina whatever position it it. Lt Governor will give him experience, I hope, to be the best governor South Carolina ever had.
Bill Connor, if you dare bring up the need for SC to reform and improve public education (f I ever see you speak in Charleston), be prepared for some tough questions from me.
Interesting that you want to make SC better, yet send your kids to private school.
Guess you are not a good example of practicing what you preach.
Myra Wilson
Folly Beach
I don’t know who I will vote for yet, but I have heard Mr. Connor speak about how the fund from his books go towards scholarships to Christian Education. I find it shameful that a blog would attack him for this. If he were buying them himself, I am sure a blog would attack him breaking campaign finance rules.
Sand Hill, you hit on a basic curse of politics. One is often dammed if they do, and dammed if they don’t.
It’s still weird.
Myra, he lives in Orangeburg, where a majority of student are not white. I’m sure the student population of his kids’ private school is overwhelmingly white. Wouldn’t want our pretty kids around the rural underclasses, would we?
The Connor agenda for education – bail out on local schools and keep them private classrooms classy (as well as wealthy and white).
Wow Earl Capps (Pokey)
Now you’re accusing Connor of racism?
Bill Connor is a Christian Conservative. He sends his children to a Christian school. I know your hatred won’t let you see the logic in that but to most citizens, it’s fairly obvious why he does it.
He really is too Christian for you isn’t he?
Jeff, he is a satanist. I saw him sacrificing cats on an altar one night. The PETA people won’t like him any more than you Jesus kooks do.
jeff, you are too christian for me.
wow. The whackos coming to the defense of Earl Capps.
Who would’ve ever thunk it