 Taylor represents Aiken, S.C. A champion of the Convention Of States project.){kind=link}
86th District S.C. State Representative William (Bill) Taylor represents Aiken, S.C. He is the champion of the highly questioned Convention Of States project.
Just last week he was added to a legal complaint listing him as the Board Chairman of a suspicious C4 “not for profit” called the American Industry Project. When we reached out to Representative Taylor, he initially told us he had never even heard of the C4. Listen to his initial comments here.
“It’s laughable. Never Heard Of AIP,” Says Taylor
Just 16 minutes later, Taylor’s memory suddenly improves. He calls back to say he is on the board. However, he states he does not know who the chairman is?
“Turns out I am on the Board,” says Taylor 16 minutes later.
The American Industry Project (AIP) is the parent of the S.C. Industry Project. The AIP 990 form lists Taylor as on the Board.
How did we get here? This all has to do with a June 2020 run-off, primary race between Senator Luke Rankin and then challenger John Gallman. Gallman went into the run-off considered by many favored to win. Senator Rankin and friends then unleashed what is now known as the most dishonest, dirtiest campaign tactic in S.C. state history.
According to the lawsuit complaint, [Gallman vs. Rankin et al] a 531-page dossier on Gallman was compiled containing documents from Gallman’s divorce proceedings and notes from a forensic interview conducted by the Children’s Recovery Center in Horry County. The complaint alleges the dossier was compiled by the Rankin campaign and distributed to media organizations throughout the state on June 2, 2020.
The forensic interview was conducted with Gallman’s 10-year-old daughter. The records of the interview are statutorily protected and confidential pursuant to S.C. Code § 19-11-95, S.C. Code § 44-22-100, and S.C. Code § 62-11-310.
Nevertheless, quotes taken directly from the divorce proceedings and the forensic interview notes appeared in a June 16, 2020 article published by MyHorryNews.com, alleging abuse by Gallman against his former wife and child, according to the complaint.
On the same day, June 16, 2020, a 30 second advertisement entitled LRLindsayFinal was delivered to WMBF. According to an exhibit filed with the complaint, the advertisement included a quote from the MyHorryNews.com article alleging domestic abuse by Gallman.
The NAB Form PB-18, submitted to the station for a non-candidate issue advertisement, was signed by Julie Emerson the founding member of Lagniappe Communications Group LLC, a Louisiana registered limited liability corporation.
The PB-18 form is dated June 16, 2020. However, by Emerson’s printed name in the signature block, it is stated the form was digitally signed by Julie Emerson at 12:21 on June 15, 2020, one day before the MyHorryNews.com article was published. The PB-18 states the advertisement was paid for by the “South Carolina Industry Project, a project of the American Industry Project, 2020 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, No. 3009, Washington, D.C.”
JULIE EMERSON
Turns out Julie Emerson also happens to be a State Representative in Louisiana. She is also the Executive Director of the American Industry Project/SC Industry Project. This is the notorious C4 now at the center of that campaign. By Federal IRS law, this C4 can only advertise and promote issues strictly limited to its mission.
On the AIP’s form 990, they list their mission: TO SERVE DOMESTIC UNITED STATES INDUSTRY BY PROMOTING AND EDUCATING THE AMERICAN PUBLIC REGARDING ETHICS, INTEGRITY, TRANSPARENCY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN PUBLIC OFFICIALS.
If you are asking how smearing a challenger in a Horry County race with dishonest and illegal information serves any United States Industry, well, we are just as curious as you are. It does appear the group broke IRS laws in doing so.
WHAT INDUSTRY WAS JULIE EMERSON ADVOCATING FOR WITH THIS AD BUY?
Paul Gable writes:
How was it that a communications group located in Louisiana knew to purchase advertising time with a Horry County television station for an advertisement, paid for by a non-issue PAC located in Washington, D.C., referencing an article about a local senate race candidate one day before the article was published [in a local Horry County newspaper]?
According to a Form 990 filing with the IRS for tax year 2018, Horry County Council member Tyler Servant is the President of the American Industry Project. Servant may find himself in trouble with the state ethics commission for the ads and flyers paid for by the S.C. Industry Project as he is listed as president.
Tyler was listed for AIP on the ad purchased by Emerson. He was sued in the complaint. He now states that he stepped down as Chairman of AIP just before the ad buy. He claims Representative William Taylor is the President. Taylor says he doesn’t know who the Chairman is.
Emerson built and manages Taylor’s political campaign website.
See where this is going? Politicians all!!!
Gable goes on: According to the S.C. Secretary of State website, neither the S.C. Industry Project nor the American Industry Project is registered to do business in the state of South Carolina.
The S.C. Industry Project paid for a second television advertisement run on WBTW. Again, Julie Emerson signed the PB-18 form digitally. The ad was entitled “SC Industry 911 Call”, which was a spot of a fake 911 call which includes reference to the forensic interview and the statement, “John Gallman, Unfit to Represent our Values.”
In addition, the S.C. Industry Project paid for several mailers which, according to the complaint, promoted the same messages about Gallman.
Why was a non-issue PAC located in Washington, D.C. so interested in spending in the neighborhood of $100,000 on television advertisements and mailers promoting defamatory information about one candidate in this relatively minor state senate election?
The final order from the Family Court concerning child custody states in part, “…no actual data to confirm any type of abuse against either parent” and “there was no verifiable data of domestic abuse by one party against the other, or child abuse.”
As this matter heads to court, a wide net of colorful characters are coming out of the woodwork.
Filed Amended S&C William Taylor Added by MyrtleBeachSC news on Scribd