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When it counted most, Henry Brown voted against real campaign finance reform in South Carolina.

 

Henry Brown's record does not substantiate his claim to be in favor of campaign finance reform and against special interests.

Below, you'll find information that highlights his record of opposing tougher campaign finance rules in South Carolina. You'll also find he's been criticized by Republicans for how he accepted campaign money while running for Congress and serving in the S.C. House.

1991: Brown opposed the overhaul of SC campaign finance laws.


In 1991 following the FBI's Operation Lost Trust vote-buying scandal, the South Carolina General Assembly passed a bill to tighten the State's campaign finance laws. During the passage of the bill -- when it counted most -- Brown opposed this series of amendments designed to increase disclosure, curb conflicts of interests, and curb quid pro quo practices.

Source: H 3743 Amendments #34, #55, #69, #85, #104; and H 3219 Amendment #5 (both 1991)

1991: Henry Brown favored looser rules for lobbyist access.


Brown opposed a resolution that would have prohibited lobbyists from being admitted into the chamber of the House, without special conditions, for the purpose of soliciting votes.

Source: H 3213, Jan. 17, 1991.

1992: Henry Brown sponsored a bill to loosen rules on lobbying.


In 1992, Henry Brown sponsored a bill to reduce or remove regulations on lobbyists operating within the General Assembly, including the removal of restrictions on the registration of lobbyists.

Source: H 4727, 1992.

2000: Republicans criticized Brown for his fund-raising activities.
Following this year's Republican primary, Henry Brown was criticized by fellow Republican Charlie Thompson for his "aggressive pursuit of campaign donations," as reported by The Post and Courier:

Thompson said Brown's willingness to take money from questionable sources, including a $1,000 donation from 1994 congressional candidate Van D. Hipp Jr., was a lapse in judgement.

Hipp in 1997 pleaded guilty to accepting $5,500 in illegal campaign contributions that were uncovered during a federal probe of credit card fraud and telephone sex.

"In accepting the money, Mr. Brown showed a level of political ineptitude that is not acceptable in a congressional candidate," he [Thompson] said.

Source: The Post and Courier, June 22, 2000.

2000: Republicans criticized Henry Brown for taking big money.
Henry Brown accepted campaign donations while overseeing a key House committee - something that a fellow Republican Buck Limehouse said was a conflict of interest, as reported by The Post and Courier:

"'He took money from lobbyists and PACS while he was chairman of Ways and Means,'" said Limehouse, who charged it was a conflict of interest for Brown to take money for a federal office at the same time groups pushing state legislation came before his committee."

Source: The Post and Courier, June 21, 2000.

Henry Brown's campaign manager in 2000 broke the law in 1990.
Henry Brown now pays for the advice of Rod Shealy, a Republican political consultant and Brown's campaign manager.

In 1990, Shealy offered to pay an unemployed black fisherman to run for Congress in Charleston as a Republican. By entering a black candidate in the primary, Mr. Shealy is alleged to have hoped to scare white voters to the polls in the hopes of helping his sister in her GOP primary bid to become lieutenant governor. Shealy became the object of a state investigation and was fined $500 for violating state campaign finance laws.

Brown, however, is reported as saying, "I've got a lot of respect for Rod [Shealy]. He has a lot of political savvy".

Source: The Post and Courier, Feb. 26, 2000.