Thanks to Doug for bringing my attention to this:
COLUMBIA S.C. Sen. Robert Ford resigned “effective immediately” from the S.C. Senate, said Sen. John Courson Friday at an ethics hearing on alleged ethics violations against Ford.
Courson said Ford submitted his resignation in a letter.
Ford, a Charleston Democrat, did not attend the second of two days of Senate Ethics Committee hearings Friday on eight alleged violations of state ethics laws against him.
Ford was admitted to Baptist Hospital Thursday evening with chest pains, William Runyon, Ford’s attorney said Friday. Ford was released sometime Friday morning, but advised by his doctor to return to Charleston, Runyon said.
Ford, a Charleston Democrat, is accused of depositing campaign donations into personal bank accounts, and spending campaign money on personal medical expenses, gym memberships and purchases from adult stores, according to a state Senate Ethics Committee complaint…
First, I’m sorry about his chest pains, and I hope he’s OK.
But the upshot for the rest of us is that South Carolina is better off without Robert Ford in the Senate.
So for once, a worthwhile result was produced under our current ethics laws. But they still need improvement.
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Did you SEE the part where he explained that “the purchases at the adult stores… were for gifts for two campaign workers?”
Like that was supposed to make us feel so much better.
So Ford gets to keep the money he pocketed? His aids can keep their “gifts”; no one wants a return on those, whatever they may be.
I don’t know what happens next. I don’t recall the last time a lawmaker quit in the middle of an ethics investigation.
I think the next step is he goes down to the Public Employee Benefit Authority on Monday to set up his state pension. Pretty sure that’s the procedure – unless he’s short a few years and Leatherman buys him the time. I guess out of gratitude or something (scratches head while trying to remember how the City of Columbia did it a while back…).
Yes Mark. Next we’ll find out that the City of Columbia paid 50k to buy Sen. Ford some retirement service credits.
In other news, Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin’s listed as a property owner in a $7 million dollar foreclosure suit.
http://www.fitsnews.com/2013/05/31/foreclosure-alert-mayoral-boondoggle-goes-bust/
No telling why he’s named in the suit, but you can trust him to make good decisions with our tax money, insurance reserves and water/sewer money.
I like that one of the named defendants in the suit is named “Lancelot”, too funny.
um, there was this, like, big recession, that walloped the real estate industry. Alan Kahn is also in foreclosure. The nature of the business….
Kathryn, so as I read your explanation… it’s not his fault? Let me guess, it’s Bush’s fault.
I didn’t know that anyone was alleging that anything was anyone’s fault here. A real estate deal failed, right?
Speaking of which, and speaking of a bad real estate… is it true what someone wrote over on FitsNews that the city sold the land where Damon’s restaurant stands to USC for $1 million dollars? When in fact the city paid $3.8 million in 2008/2009? Kind of makes you wonder how this $7 million dollar warehouse deal with go, probably be sold to USC for $2 million in a couple years.
But back to this ordeal, who’s holding the bag? Will the owners walk away scott-free leaving the bank to deal with it or will they gut the assets of the owners?
Zackly
Isn’t Robert’s last name really Iford?
Strange.
Maybe Steven Colbert’s sister will run for Ford’s old senate seat…
Actually, if she’s in that district, that wouldn’t be a bad idea.
More unlikely but also more hilarious would be the return of T-Rav…
He’s tanned, rested and ready.
Rumor has it Andre Bauer has just bought a house in North Charleston.
Nice one!
The SC Democratic Party put out this statement:
They tried to strike the right tone, but missed.
Should have said, “Throughout his career, Sen. Ford had been a tireless advocate for loony ideas, and a constant embarrassment to this party.”
It’s easier for some people to steal tens of thousands dollars than it is for others to steal hundreds.
Word!
Is Kathryn trying out some new one word response strategy?
When does “Operation Lost Trust 2.0” start handing out indictments? Let’s go ahead and investigate the entire state house.
As long as no one considers Kahn and Pinson in the same light! Integrity matters. In bad times/defeat, it is what separates the good from the players.
I want to give the mayor the benefit of the doubt on this; but it is getting harder to be magnanimous about his real estate choices.