Danger zone

The most intensive push to reform South Carolina’s ethics law in two decades is being driven by a string of ethics scandals over the past three years, many at the highest levels of state government:

A groundbreaking national study released in 2012 by the Center for Public Integrity found South Carolina more susceptible to political corruption than all but five other states. Among the major problems cited were insufficient disclosure requirements and inadequate ethics enforcement.

Cindi Ross Scoppe has been writing about ethics and campaign finance law since 1990, first as a reporter and now as an editorial writer. Her reporting revealed to South Carolinians the extent of the cozy relationship between lawmakers and lobbyists, which helped lay the groundwork for what was considered at the time the toughest ethics law in the nation. Since covering the yearlong debate over that law, she has written about many of its loopholes and shortcomings and the intermittent attempts to repair it — and further weaken it. Contact her at cscoppe@thestate.com or at (803) 771-8571.

This story was originally published February 17, 2013 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Danger zone."