OPINION
“The establishment is quick to cover their own many misdeeds, while pointing a high profile, bony finger at the few non-corrupt politicians in the state when details are missed.”
Horry County Council Chairman Johnny Gardner chose to finance his own 2018 campaign run. When offered monies from the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, Gardner refused.
High profile lawsuits between Horry County and the City of Myrtle Beach clearly indicate Chairman Gardner has entrenched enemies. The 2018 deep state attacks from now fired, former Horry County Administrator Chris Eldridge were also indications that the “old guard” had the long knives out for Gardner even before he took office.
POPULAR CHAIRMAN
Unlike his predecessor, Mark Lazarus, Gardner is extremely popular with everyday residents. Gardner, however, does not enjoy the establishment’s favor as Lazarus did. However, everyday residents are not particulary fond of the establishment in any way.
Yesterday’s headlines by the Sun News stating that Gardner’s tenure was on “Thin Ice” brought swift rebuttal from locals on social media. Many compared the attacks on Gardner to the current impeachment attempts by Democrats in Washington, D.C.
Practically every resident in Horry County knows that Gardner lent himself the money to fund his own campaign.
NOT FILING
Not filing with the ethics commission concerning his loan to himself was sloppy. With full knowledge that entrenched forces were opposed to his leadership, Gardner’s lack of attention here was also reckless.
CHARACHTER ASSASIGNATION – MEANWHILE, I STEAL OR LOSE MILLIONS AND BILLIONS
How many front page headlines in Horry County have tied Santee Cooper Oversight Chairman, District 33 Senator Luke Rankin to the $9 billion lost at Santee Cooper under his watch?
In fact, most mainstream media rush to defend this Senator.
Horry County residents have all followed the high profile, front page articles about the lawsuit between Myrtle Beach and the county over the illegally extended Hospitality Tax. Yet few mainstream media outlets point out that it was Lazarus who illegally extended the tax.
Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune certainly has no intentions of pointing that out. Bethune and Lazarus are among the best of establishment friends. Mainstream media is also reticent to point out that Bethune is currently fighting to ensure her legal associates can re-allocate $9 million in public tax monies to their private business concerns. Why Bethune would be such an advocate for the city’s (private -outside) lawyers has not even been asked nor addressed by mainstream media outlets.
As the Sun News reports: The public has a right to know the economic positions of their elected leaders, but Horry County Chairman Johnny Gardner did not supply the information as required by state law.
Had Gardner received monies from contributors, MyrtleBeachSC News would have been among the first to cry foul. However, not reporting his own loan to himself is a mere misdemeanor.
ONLY IF HE DOESN’T PAY THE FINE
In fact, Article 15 of the S.C. Ehtics Reform Act states Gardner’s lack of filing is no crime at all should Gardner pay the fine. If he refuses, only then would his lack of filing be considered a misdemeanor.
Gardner should be fined and he should pay those fines for this misdemeanor.
We are the first to speak out about collusion, abuse of power, and state-wide corruption.
“The establishment is quick to cover their own many misdeeds, while pointing a high profile, bony finger at the few non-corrupt politicians in the state when details are missed.”
Knowing how this group of insiders work, over the past 20 years, establishment types like Bethune, as well as establishment media, are certain to pile on, taking the self righteous high ground over Chairman Gardner’s error. Shame on them all.
Johnny Gardner remains among one of the few, non shady, non corrupt, non colluded politicians in the state.