Sheheen: End ‘pay-to-play’ contributions to SC governor from firms getting state incentives

Vincent Sheheen, the Democratic candidate for governor, called Monday for a ban on campaign contributions to the governor from companies that get state tax breaks and the executives of those firms.

Republican Gov. Nikki Haley has received $130,000 in contributions from companies awarded tax breaks, according to an analysis by the campaign of Tom Ervin, petition candidate for governor. Haley’s camp has said businesses contribute to her campaign because they like her pro-business policies.

During a news conference, Sheheen said his proposed prohibition, which would require a change in state law, mimics the state ban on campaign contributions from lobbyists.

“Our role should be to make sure that pay-to-play culture ... is stamped out,” he said.

Sheheen said he was upset particularly about a chief executive, Arnold Kamler of Kent International, who appeared in a Haley campaign ad that debuted hours after the governor visited the grand opening of Kent’s Manning plant last week. The plant received state job-development tax credits. The company also contributed $2,500 to Haley’s campaign.

“There is no level of pay to play that’s worse than that,” Sheheen said. “You can’t sink any lower.”

Sheheen, a state senator from Camden, said he is unaware of his campaign accepting any contributions from companies that have received state incentives. He said he voted for tax breaks for an Amazon distribution center in Lexington County and a Boeing aircraft manufacturing plant in North Charleston, but he has not received donations from those companies.

Haley’s campaign said Sheheen was ignoring a different conflict of interest involving campaign contributions that affects his work as a lawyer.

“When Vince Sheheen starts talking about banning contributions from trial lawyers who appear before judges he appoints, then we'll know he’s serious about campaign finance reforms,” Haley campaign spokeswoman Chaney Adams said.

This story was originally published October 21, 2014 at 6:30 AM with the headline "Sheheen: End ‘pay-to-play’ contributions to SC governor from firms getting state incentives."