Rice Political Consultant Paid $24,935 In TDF Monies By MBACC

RICE AT I-73 GALA PUT ON BY THE MYRTLE BEACH AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Records turned over to Special Prosecutor David Pascoe’s state-wide corruption investigation and the FBI now show that Tom Rice’s political consultant, Walter Whetsell, was paid $24,935.66 in TDF (tourist tax) monies in 2011.

Earlier this year, the Pascoe team was also given records showing the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce paid $60,000 in TDF monies to indicted State Representative Jim Merrill’s political consulting family business.

SLED, Special Prosecutor Pascoe, and the FBI are conducting a state wide corruption probe that, to date, have netted former Speaker of The S.C. House – Bobby Harrell, Representative Jim Merrill, North Myrtle Beach area politician Tracy Edge, Political Consultant Richard Quinn, and his son, Representative Rick Quinn.

Tom Rice is a South Carolina U.S. Congressman from the 7th (Forence/Myrtle Beach) District with close ties to Brad Dean of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.

With Richard Quinn now sidelined by Pascoe’s probe, Walter Whetsell is considered the most powerful political consultant in the state of S.C.

On November 18th, we sent Mr. Whetsell and Mr. Dean the below email. We followed up with a second request. Neither Mr. Whetsell nor Mr. Dean responded to our multiple requests.

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Walter,