Brad Dean Faces Questions From Puerto Rico Press, Blames MyrtleBeachSC.com

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David Hucks
David Huckshttps://myrtlebeachsc.com
David Hucks is a 12th generation descendant of the area we now call Myrtle Beach, S.C. David attended Coastal Carolina University and like most of his family, has never left the area. David is the lead journalist at MyrtleBeachSC.com

Questions have been raised by the media in Puerto Rico about monies that the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce president, Brad Dean, handed out to politicians, in sequential cashiers checks, distributed by his organization in 2009.  Those articles were written in 2009 by David Wren of the Sun News.  Mark Kelly, a former local lobbyist, would later sue the Sun News in regards to those very news items.  At the time of those articles, the IRS and the FBI were investigating those payments.  Those investigations later ended with no arrests.  Only Shep Guyton, the former Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce Board President, has had any charges brought against him. Those State of SC ethics charges and fines are still outstanding and awaiting trial.

Mr. Dean did not appear to recollect the details of the matter, however, as he explained it to the press in Puerto Rico.

Said Dean, “These allegations of corruption, fraud, and illegal political contributions are untrue. I believe, now you are going to have to help me, because  I haven’t actually seen this, but I believe they come from MyrtleBeachSC.com.”  Dean, however,  was then corrected when he made those statements by members of the press attending who told him they had read them elsewhere.   Regardless, Mr. Dean went on with his same narrative,  “The MyrtleBeachSC.com site is not a credible news organization. The source that has been referred to, and if there are other sources that I am not aware of, is not a credible news organization.  It is owned by an individual that has been a constant critic of mine.

The truth, however, happens to be far from the story Mr. Dean told.  The Myrtle Beach Sun News and journalist David Wren wrote an entire episode of ongoing investigative reports about those payments.  How Mr. Dean could re-remember that highly publicized chapter of his own life in a new way is a mystery?

Mr. Dean then later brought up testimony of over 18 pages of Myth versus Fact propaganda that the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce has archived online about our news site and me personally.  He used this to “bolster” his evidence that the stories written in 2009 were not true.

We responded to a request from Oscar J. Serrano, Editor in Chief, of NotiCel™, among Puerto Rico’s most distinguished and leading news organizations:

______________________

Dear Mr. Serrano,

I came in tonight to your email. As Mr. Dean is moving to a new opportunity,  I originally considered letting the past lie and not responding.
However,  I do feel a need to set the record straight on his Facebook Live video:  https://www.facebook.com/noticelpr/videos/2100857386598997/
At the 16 + minute mark,  Mr. Dean writes that MyrtleBeachSC.com wrote the news articles about campaign contributions made to local politicians.  We did not, in fact write those articles.  They were written by the local Sun News.  Those news items have now been taken down.  I provide Mr. David Wren’s email here.  Mr. Wren now writes for the Charleston Post and Courier.  Stephanie Pedersen of the Sun News can confirm that her organization,  McClatchy wrote those articles.
As to Mr. Dean’s claims at the 33 minute mark of 18 pages of false information,  I will be happy to go over each item he claims line by line, parcept by parcept.
We cover and report on holding government accountable.  Mr. Dean’s activities at the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce are items of interest and, with large contributions from 1% taxes.  As such, transparency is a key issue.  Just because the laws did not require transparency, doesn’t mean ethically those issues  maintained the local trust Mr. Dean claims.
Mr. Dean and other S.C. Chambers are currently fighting FOIA in the S.C.Supreme Court.  https://myrtlebeachsc.com/mbacc-tax-could-be-renewed-before-sc-supreme-court-foia-decision/
On February 15th, we asked the City of Myrtle Beach to provide, via FOIA, the 8 years of Web Stats achieved from  the dollars spent,  so that our readers can see how effective the tax has been.
To date,  the City of Myrtle Beach nor the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber have been unwilling to produce those web stats.
Mr. Dean should not have involved our news company in an issue that relates to Puerto Rico and the citizens of Puerto Rico.   Our company focuses on issues related to Myrtle Beach.
 Sincerely,
David Hucks
_____________________________________
We then located a cached copy of a key article in the Sun News’ reporting and posted a copy with the Facebook Live-Stream press conference made by Mr. Dean. We did that so the press members in Puerto Rico could decide for themselves.

 

We believe Mr. Dean should not have included our news team in his response to those questions about his actions in 2009.  MyrtleBeachSC.com writes often about sunlight and government accountability.  We offered Mr. Serrano a line by line, parcept by parcept response to the legally parsed words that someone in authority at the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce chose to put online about MyrtleBeachSC.com.
While we wish Mr. Dean all the best in his new role, we would prefer that he leave our company out of the issues he faced in 2009, as we chose not to report on those matters as they were being investigated that year.   Mr. Dean clearly lied to the people of Puerto Rico.  What he chooses to do with that now is his to own.

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