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GRIFFIN, TOMPKINS EACH ON GOV. CANDIDATE’S PAYROLL
In his bid to become the state’s next governor, Congressman Gresham Barrett talks a lot about wanting to change the status quo and end business as usual in South Carolina.
But a sum of money paid to two notoriously shady political operatives shows that Barrett may once again be talking the talk rather than walking the walk.
During the third quarter, Barrett paid more than $36,000 to Tim Griffin, a controversial opposition researcher who has been denounced by African American leaders as “shameful” for allegedly suppressing black voter turnout in elections. And Barrett also consummated his long-rumored financial relationship with South Carolina’s most loathsome lobbyist, Warren Tompkins.
CNN reported Thursday that Barrett paid Griffin’s firm the money in July and August and that his campaign said the expenditures were only for “policy research and backgrounders.” But Griffin’s shady past raises significant questions about that claim.
Griffin made national headlines in 2006 for his role in the Bush administration’s U.S. Attorney scandal when Bush confidant Karl Rove chose Griffin to replace U.S. Attorney Bud Cummins, who was fired for not carrying the White House’s water.
Justice Department emails later revealed that the Bush White House did not consider Cummins a “loyal Bushie,” so he was ousted for Griffin, their opposition researcher at the time.
“This guy embodies everything that was wrong with the Bush Administration,” one South Carolina insider told The Palmetto Scoop. “He is a stain on the Republican Party.”
Prior to becoming the poster boy for the politicization of the U.S. Attorney’s office, Griffin was reportedly involved in “caging” efforts to suppress the African American vote. The reports were so prevalent that Griffin was forced to resign as U.S. Attorney.
In a 2008 column, Robert Novak even noted that Griffin specialized in “the digging up of derogatory information about political opponents.”
So what is Barrett doing paying Griffin the equivalent of a year’s salary for many South Carolinians? And why does he want to get this guy involved in South Carolina politics?
It could have something to do with Tompkins, whom Barrett paid $8,000 during the quarter. Tompkins, also a Bush crony, has his own record of dirty deeds which have been credited with destroying the Republican Party.
Some of Tompkins’ greatest hits include this, this, this, and this. Click each story and enjoy for yourself.
When did Palmetto Scoop become the Huffington Post? And since when is having Bush connections bad in a Republican Primary in SC? You failed to mention that Tim left his job in the White House to honorably serve in Iraq with the Army Reserves or that President Bush was well within his right to appoint Tim US Attorney, a position that is a political appointment that serves “at the pleasure of the President.”
Take a look at the people on Team McMaster:
Richard Quinn, a man who opposed creating MLK Day and supported David Duke, is the lead consultant for Henry McMaster:
“What better way to reject politics as usual than to elect a maverick like David Duke? What better way to tweak the nose of the establishment?,” said Quinn.
In a column Quinn wrote, “King Day should have been rejected because its purpose is vitriolic and profane. By celebrating King as the incarnation of all they admire, they [black leaders] have chosen to glorify the histrionic rather than the heroic and by inference they spurned the brightest and the best among their own race…Ignoring the real heroes in our nation’s life, the blacks have chosen a man who represents not their emancipation, not their sacrifices and bravery in service to their country; rather, they have chosen a man whose role in history was to lead his people into a perpetual dependence on the welfare state, a terrible bondage of body and soul. [Partisan View, Southern Partisan, Fall, 1983] Quinn has also advocated electing David Duke, and sold T-Shirts through his magazine celebrating Abraham Lincoln’s assasination. [Partisan View, Southern Partisan, Winter, 1989, PFAW Release, 2/17/00]
And how about Trey Walker…McMaster’s right hand man…
Trey Walker Investigated For Election Fraud; Admitted Sending Misleading Emails. Trey Walker, recently hired by John McCain to lead McCain’s South Carolina campaign, was “under investigation for election fraud because of his role in helping [Henry] McMaster” win the AG election while he was employed by Richard Quinn’s firm, Richard Quinn & Associates. The investigation of Walker “center[ed] on Walker’s admitted misrepresentation of an e-mail critical of McMaster’s chief opponent, Charleston lawyer Larry Richter…Walker acknowledge[d] he circulated a newspaper article to 2,300 party activists on the eve of the June 11 primary. The article from The State reported that Richter once accepted $55,000 in cash from a man later convicted of drug trafficking. But Walker made it appear the article came from Richter’s political strategist, Rod Shealy.” [CNN, 1/8/07; The State, 7/12/02; 1/24/03; 11/11/03; 11/18/03; 2/14/04]
Scoop,
Easy on the attacks tiger. This blog, albeit independent, is slowly becoming the Quinn candidate blog. I thought you said they had no influence over you. Why not write about Alan Wilson failing the SC Bar exam the first three times, or Henry McMaster getting outlawyered in the Craig’s List debacle. Where are those stories??
Just shows you the Scoop has become increasingly desperate to attack Barrett when their old good ole boy McMaster is lagging in fund raising and in the polls. I guess the Scoop has called for articles like these since desperate times calls for desperate measures and shows you McMaster’s campaign is going to have a hard time.
He learned a lot during 8 years of swimming in the cesspooli of corruption (Washington DC). We shouldn’t be surprised.
It will be up to SC voters to decide if they want to bring DC corruption into our state house.
Did you really link to Think Progress to support your attack? And unnamed “South Carolina insiders”?
Uh, yeh…….
Where’s the proof that Barrett paid Mr. Griffin for opposition research? And why are you so obsessed with Barrett?
Nancy: http://www.sc.gov/PublicReporting/IndividualCandidate/SearchCandidate.aspx
Will McMaster pledge to run a clean campaign? I sure hope so. But, if his previous races are any indication that’s got about a snowball’s chance in hell of coming true.
McMaster earned a reputation at the GOP for being a real ball cutter. And from what some of the other people are posting around here it doesn’t exactly look like ol’ Henry has surrounded himself with the cleanest bunch of campaigners in the business.
I’d take a former Bush operative over a racist and a fraud any day of the week.
If South Carolina elects Barrett, then it must be true what they say about the best educated leave the state for Charlotte and Atlanta. Strom Thurmond, Jim DeMint, Mark Sanford, and Rep. Joe Wilson? Where do you get these people? Are their no mental hospitals in South Carolina?
It looks like ol’ Henry has wised up and decided not to try and argue the water case in front of the Supremes. I guess losing the Dungeon Rape Case actually taught him a lesson.
um…. excuse me. This coming from the Quinn/McMaster machine. The Quinns are the dirtiest political players in all of SC Politics. Then you have your other boss…. McMaster! Whom if I remember correctly claims he raised $1mil this past quarter=bold face lie. There is a difference between raising that much money and transferring it! Don’t bring up the race card son…. If i remember correctly, which i do, McMaster is also a member of the “all whites” country club in Columbia, along w/ Katon Dawson. You’re only as good as the company you keep, you my boy aren’t keeping good company!
This blog is purely an outlet for McDisaster and the Quinn crowd……you can’t possibly get any more transparent.
Jane – “DC Corruption”? Not sure what you mean by that, especially with regard to Mr. Barrett, but even if that WAS the case, it would at least mean competition for the local crooks.
We know criminals hate sharing their turf with others.
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