South Carolina Statehouse Blog

Legal brief filed in response to Gov.’s reversal on transparency promise

(Columbia, SC) – Today, Speaker Bobby Harrell and the S.C. House of Representatives took the necessary steps to ensure that the ongoing State Ethics Commission investigation into the numerous allegations made against Governor Mark Sanford is an open and transparent process. 
 
Last week, in a brief filed with the S.C. Supreme Court, Governor Sanford sued the Ethics Commission in an effort to keep the report of their ongoing investigation against him behind closed doors.  With today’s actions, the House has requested to become a party to the lawsuit started by the Governor, but the House is fighting on the side of transparency and openness. 
 
“This issue is too important for us allow it to be done in secret,” Speaker Harrell said.  “If the Governor succeeds in breaking his promise to keep this process transparent, it will cause all of this to drag on and on.  It is time to get this behind us and move on.”
 
From the start, Lawmakers took the position that the Commission’s investigation should serve as a basis the Legislature uses to gauge actions it may deem appropriate.  Governor Sanford originally agreed with this process.  In an August 28, 2009 press release announcing his decision to wave confidentiality in order to provide the public and the General Assembly with an open and transparent investigation, Governor Sanford stated:
 
“In the continued spirit of a fair and transparent process, I am today announcing that I’ll be waiving confidentiality…Our administration has nothing to hide. We would welcome the public to scrutinize our record, just as the Ethics Commission will do.”
 
Speaker Harrell said, “This needs to be an open, thorough and timely process.  But Governor Sanford is doing everything he can to make sure this investigation drags on in secret where nobody can find out what is going on, and that is 180 degrees from what he said a few weeks ago.”
 
“This political maneuver to delay the process and keep the people from seeing the facts is not what South Carolina needs right now,” Harrell continued.  “I was disappointed to see Governor Sanford reverse his position about making this a transparent process.  I strongly urge the Governor to rethink his new position so we can address this issue and move on.”

Memo in Support of Motion to Intervene as Petitioner IntervenorSCEC

Harrell Petition for Writ of Mandamus and BriefSCEC