In life, we can either view penalties for ethical violations as a life’s lesson to be taken to heart or just an inconvenience of no consequence. If you are Governor Nikki Haley of South Carolina, apparently an ethical misstep is not much more than an inconsequential stumble.
In an article appearing in the Charleston City Paper (October 11, 2013), writer Corey Hutchins, details the fact that:
“Gov. Nikki Haley describes (her) ethics fine as ‘business expense’ in a campaign report.
According to public filings by Nikki Haley, the governor’s re-election campaign (chair) listed nearly $10,000 for an ethics fine and related costs as a “business expense.”
In order to better understand the history of the incident, we need to go back to July 2013, when Governor Haley’s campaign allegedly accepted donations from contributors whose addresses couldn’t be verified.
This is a serious violation in that special interest groups could potentially “buy politicians” in giving campaigns large sums of money to push their agendas and at the same time, hiding their identities.
Governor Haley, a Republican, was not surprisingly accused of failing to disclose the source of certain contributions by a Democrat Party staffer, but in this case it might be wise to suspend politics.
It is true that the illegally funds were eventually given back to the state in the form of donations to the Children’s Trust Fund of South Carolina (a non-profit charity) after Haley’s campaign failed to disclose the addresses of the contributors, plus the penalties themselves. What is curious to me is that the more than $4,100 in untraceable donations plus penalties to the South Carolina Ethics Commissions, were itemized as a “Business Expense.”
According to the article:
“This is the clearest evidence that, to the offenders, ethics violations are just the cost of doing business,” says Chris Kenney, a Columbia attorney who represented the Democratic staffer who filed the original ethics complaint against Haley. “You break the rules and then you pay for it with other people’s money. That ain’t right.”
That Ain’t Right – Indeed
According to writer Corey Hutchins:
“The State Ethics Commission’s deputy director and lawyer, Cathy Hazelwood, said candidates are usually more specific about describing ethics fines on their public reports. Some, for instance, note if they had to pay the agency for filing a disclosure late. Haley didn’t mention a fine or why campaign money was going to the agency.”
I need to also mention that the fines for these kinds of violations are not paid by the politicians or their staffers, but by the taxpayers. These “Business Expenses” are subsidized by the very people who are being deceived; you and me. We are paying the price for their ethical missteps.
I go back to one of the first “lessons” we learned of the molding of American political greatness, George Washington chopping down the cherry tree! “Yes father, it was I.”
Who knows if he really said that or not? However, after all we’ve through; shouldn’t we expect more from our politicians? Have we become so politicized that ethical violations are simply “expenses” or inconveniences?
Even George Washington might have said, “Father, I took illegal funds from people and I am willing to pay the fines and apologize.”
No apology was ever issued. In a few years, when people go through the records all they will see is “Business Expense.” The politician or someone else running for office might say something like: “Oh that’s old news, let’s put it behind us.”
The problem is that if nothing is addressed, what is there to put behind?
We must expect more from our politicians. Our politicians are largely a reflection of ourselves. We elect them to represent us. If we strive to conduct ourselves ethically, what of the people who represent us?
My solution for all of these situations has been consistent: ethical training. If we applaud honesty in our “Young George and Martha Washington’s,” we should also expect it from our grown-up politicians. We must respect that not all people come to office with ethical training, so we must do our best to train them.
It is a small price for them to pay, but will be a major benefit to our society.