ELECTIONS 2014: Sheriffs, prosecutors back Gov. Nikki Haley

Three GOP sheriffs and a pair of former top prosecutors endorsed Republican Gov. Nikki Haley’s re-election bid on Tuesday.

Sheriffs Kenney Boone of Florence, Bruce Bryant of York and Barry Faile of Lancaster joined former state Attorney General Charles Condon and former U.S. Attorney John Simmons at the news conference at the State House. Bryant said the sheriffs appreciate Haley holding annual law enforcement meetings at the Governor’s Mansion and giving them her cell-phone number.

The sheriffs’ support comes after Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott appeared in an ad for Democratic gubernatorial nominee Vincent Sheheen that was critical of how the Haley administration has handled the deaths of children whose families had contact with the S.C. Department of Social Services.

Bryant said Haley is working to solve the problems at the cabinet agency that have lasted over his 43 years in law enforcement. The agency is trying to fill 41 vacant caseworker openings and plans to ask for another 202 caseworkers.

“We all have our problems ... and people want to point fingers, but I can you tell this, you can bet your bottom dollar that Gov. Haley addresses issues as they come to her desk,” he said. “As long as we’re dealing with human beings, we’re going to have issues that’s not going to satisfy the courts, the media, the public, the victims or anybody else.”

The news conference at the State House on Tuesday was headlined by Republican lieutenant governor nominee Henry McMaster, a former state attorney general who said he would work closely with Haley if elected.

This is the second press event McMaster has held for the governor.

Last month, McMaster challenged a Sheheen advertisement that said the governor failed to tell the public immediately about the massive hacking at the S.C. Department of Revenue. Victims lost time to protect their financial information, Sheheen has said.

That theme continued Tuesday with McMaster and Bryant saying that sometimes information must be withheld from the public to protect an investigation. The governor was honoring the request of law enforcement before telling the public 16 days after the state learned of the breach.

“You’re going to give away evidence that the bad guy might be using,” Bryant said.

Also endorsing Haley at the news conference was state Rep. Dennis Moss, a Cherokee Republican who worked for the S.C. Highway Patrol. Haley received backing from Dorchester Sheriff L.C. Knight and state Sen. Greg Hembree, a Horry Republican who was a solicitor.

This story was originally published September 23, 2014 at 1:30 PM with the headline "ELECTIONS 2014: Sheriffs, prosecutors back Gov. Nikki Haley."