Voucher Week, pt. II: Undue Out-of-State Influence

So what does Gervais mean when he says that South Carolinians for Responsible Government's legislative candidates are funded “almost entirely” by the “out-of-state” voucher lobby? Is it just rhetoric? A little embellishment? Or is it fact?

I’ll let you decide.

A good place to start would be last year’s GOP primary in House District 7, in Abbeville & Anderson Counties. In that contest, now-Representative Mike Gambrell defeated a SCRG-backed candidate named Dan Harvell by about 200 votes.

Who is Dan Harvell? I have no idea, other than almost a legislator. But a quick look at Mr. Harvell’s campaign disclosure shows that something was amiss over in House District 7 last year. From April to July, a span which included the June primary, Mr. Harvell raked in $29,025 in campaign contributions.

Of that $29,025, how much was from out-of-state supporters of the Put Parents in Charge voucher bill?

$25,000. Out of $29,025. That’s 86%. Take a gander at the disclosures if you don’t believe it:

Four maximum contributions from the 73 Spring Street, NY, NY address of millionaire libertarian Howard Rich:

Howard Rich: $1,000
Ashborough Investors: $1,000
Spooner LLC: $1000
West 14 & 18 LLC: $1,000

Four more maximum contributions from a Denver, Colorado address:

Alex Cranberg $1000
Long Canyon, LLC: $1,000
Azimuth Energy, LLC: $1,000
Aspect Energy, LLC: $1,000

And $1000 checks from the following voucher enthusiasts, among others:

Eric Brooks of Pennsylvania
Donna Brooks of Pennsylvania
Paul Farago of Oregon
Janine Yass of Pennsylvania
Kermit Waters of Nevada
Joe Stilwell of New York
Arthur Dantchik of Pennsylvania
Joseph Rich of New York

Take note of these names - chances are you'll see them again soon.

In all, Harvell for House cashed twenty-five $1000 checks from out-of-state - or about $20 for each voter who ultimately pulled the lever for Mr. Harvell.

Where were SCRG’s alleged 200,000 grass roots supporters during this influx of out-of-state cash? MIA? AWOL? Some other military acronym?

I don’t know. But this is what Gervais means when he says a candidate is funded almost entirely from the out-of-state voucher lobby. 86%. I’d be worried if these folks provided even a third of a candidate’s funding, but 86% is just ridiculous.

Bogus grass-roots groups, duplicitous donations, and undue out-of-state influence. Folks, this ain't how our political system is supposed to operate.

But if you think 86% is bad, well - to quote Bob Dylan - "Now ain't the time for your tears." It gets worse.

Find out how much worse tomorrow, when Shark - er, Voucher - Week continues. (Go to Part Three)