WIS Investigates: SC House Speaker Bobby Harrell's campaign spending

Source: WISTV

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - Bobby Harrell, the South Carolina Speaker of the House, has spent the last five months under a State Law Enforcement Division investigation. However, media investigations into how Harrell spent his campaign cash started nearly one year ago.

State law allows campaign money to be spent on items "related to the campaign or the office held," according to the State Ethics Commission's rules. The commission goes on to state, "Use of campaign funds for personal expenses is prohibited. Candidates should maintain a mileage log for reimbursement of expenses related to travel. Candidates may not purchase gas with campaign funds."

Was Harrell's spending from his campaign account for travel using his airplane and other expenses legal? Without seeing Harrell's receipts, invoices, and documents related to each expenditure, we don't know. Harrell has not turned any of that information over to WIS, even after repeated attempts to see them.

SLED INVESTIGATION

On Feb. 14, 2013, the South Carolina Policy Council and its leader, Ashley Landess, asked S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson to investigate how Bobby Harrell spent nearly a half-million dollars of campaign contributions. Landess' complaint questioned Harrell's use of campaign money to fly his personal airplane from his home in Charleston to Columbia. The House Ethics Committee had jurisdiction over any Harrell investigation, but according to committee member and Charleston County Rep. Leon Stavrinakis, the Ethics Committee did "nothing" with the Harrell case.

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Read more: http://www.wistv.com/story/22816363/wis-investigates-sc-house-speaker-bobby-harrells-campaign-spending