COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - A tame debate among Democrats running for governor in South Carolina turned personal during a question about what can be done about corruption in state government.
State Rep. James Smith braced himself Monday as the question was asked, and two candidates who aren’t currently in politics told him he was part of the problem.
Charleston businessman Phil Noble pointed out Smith has helped Republican state Attorney General Alan Wilson with ethics charges in 2015 and Wilson rewarded Smith by giving his law firm a lawsuit over prescription painkillers that could make him hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“That’s crony corruption,” Noble said.
Florence attorney Marguerite Willis said four Republican lawmakers convicted so far in a criminal investigation shows there is buying and selling votes and tax fraud at the Statehouse that taints Smith even if he isn’t directly involved.
“There are smoke-filled rooms in the Statehouse. Mr. Smith smells like smoke.”
Smith said he was a good lawyer who has backed ethics reform before in the South Carolina House and would push for stronger ethics laws again if elected governor.
“We are not the party of dishonest personal attacks,” Smith said.
The candidates were asked to clarify statements from their last debate two weeks ago in the first question at Monday’s debate aired statewide by South Carolina Educational Television and sponsored by The Post and Courier of Charleston.
Smith said he can expand Medicaid in South Carolina himself as governor, but did add a caveat that lawmakers could fight him. However, he said, without naming names, that lawmakers from both parties promised they would not fight him.
Willis was asked about her statement that South Carolina could raise $400 million through medical marijuana. Wills said that money would come from farmers growing and selling marijuana.
Noble was asked about his promise to fire the entire board of state-owned utility Santee Cooper after their role in spending billions of dollars to plan and build two nuclear reactors over a decade before halting construction last summer. Noble said losing billions of dollars is enough reason to prove the criminal wrongdoing needed to fire board members under the law.
This is the last statewide debate before the primary on June 12.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.