If you want to see how the Cromartie faction is working to retain power in the city, here’s how: Kathryn shared this letter with me via PDF file (which meant I had to frickin’ type it over):
Dear Leaders:
There will be an emergency Advisory Committee meeting on Thursday, March 11, 2010, t 7:00 p.m. at Bishops’ Memorial AME Church Fellowship Hall, 2221 Washington Street, Columbia, SC 29204.
The meeting will have as guest various candidates running for office in the city of Columbia, Richland County and Statewide.
We have Attorney Steve Benjamin as our guest speaker to answer any questions you may have.
If you have any questions, please contact Councilman Cromartie on his City Council Hotline, 803-254-7243. A full dinner will be served. I am looking forward to seeing you on Thursday.
Yours in Partnership with the Community,
King B.L. Jeffcoat
So they’re scrambling.
Alas, that meeting was last night. But if you hadn’t been invited you might not have made it in. Reporter Adam Beam tried to get in, and they stopped him. They even told him it was just “choir practice.”
Very interesting. I wonder who was there. I wonder who paid for the dinner. I wonder why Cromartie (note they still call him “Councilman”) still has a City Council Hotline (I checked; the number takes you to his law office).
I wonder why Steve Benjamin was there as a top-billed guest. I’ll ask him that at the next Kaffeeklatsch. Jack just invited me to another one today.
What do they say when you get to the FORMER law office? He’s supposed to be suspended and a trustee in charge.
You REALLY wonder what’s going on?
Seriously?
Hate to break it to you, but there have been cases where politicians act in their own best interests because there is so much money to be made and favors to dole out.
That’s why every single meeting, email, phone conversation between public officials should be recorded and made available to the public immediately.
Benjamin better be careful if he wants to appeal to the City at Large. It appears to be more of the same not a “New Day”. And we won’t have a “New Day” if we continue do it the old way.
Yes, Melanie–my point exactly! I want a New Day!
Cromartie has a way with words. He apologizes for his “mistakes in judgement”.
Frack it! Cromartie knew what the heck he was doing. The court documents state that he structured payments in such a way to avoid the law. He knowingly, and willingly, broke the law. After all, he should know what’s legal and what’s not; he is/was a lawyer.