Former SC Attorney General Condon out as Santee Cooper board chairman
Former S.C. Attorney General Charlie Condon’s brief tenure as the interim board chairman of Santee Cooper is over.
Gov. Henry McMaster withdrew Condon’s nomination for the job Monday, just before the S.C. Senate was set to vote to reject the Charleston Republican over his lack of experience in the utility or energy sectors.
In a letter to Senate President Harvey Peeler, R-Cherokee, McMaster said that vote this week would be a distraction as the General Assembly moves forward with plans to study the possible sale or takeover of Santee Cooper.
The Columbia Republican praised Condon’s efforts to bring transparency and accountability to Santee Cooper. That includes limiting “Santee Cooper’s long-standing custom of lengthy executive sessions,” and pushing for public discussion on issues before board votes.
McMaster originally appointed Condon for the job in March 2018, then installed him unilaterally as Santee Cooper’s board chairman after the Senate failed to vote on his confirmation before adjourning for the year.
Condon became Santee Cooper’s board chairman officially in December, after McMaster fought and won a lengthy court battle with the Senate over the appointment. Since Condon took over, he has pushed the board to hold meetings only on weekdays when the public can follow along, as opposed to one weekends when no one is paying attention.
He also stirred the pot by publicly questioning Santee Cooper’s spending on private defense attorneys and more than $500,000 retention bonuses for its executives.
With Condon gone, the board’s first vice chairman, Georgetown investment bank executive Dan Ray, will take over as chairman. Ray was appointed to the board by former Gov. Nikki Haley.
Condon’s withdrawal was largely symbolic. It came less than a week after the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 19-4 against his confirmation for the job. The full Senate was expected to follow suit and officially reject him in a vote this week.
“I’m confident that (McMaster’s) decision wouldn’t have been made were it not for the committee vote,” said Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, “but I think it’s the right decision.”
This story was originally published May 6, 2019 at 4:37 PM.
