South Carolina

Haley Home Free In South Carolina Governor's Race?

Justin Elliott | June 9, 2010, 10:56AM

Nikki Haley, Republican candidate for governor in South Carolina

After weathering two frantic weeks of claims of infidelity, polygraph stunts, and outright racism, South Carolina Republican Nikki Haley won big in the GOP gubernatorial primary Tuesday -- though not quite big enough to avoid a runoff in two weeks with Rep. Gresham Barrett.

Haley got 48.8 percent to Barrett's 21.8 percent; she needed to top 50 percent to avoid a runoff June 22.

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South Carolina

Haley: I Will Resign If Affair Claims Are Validated (AUDIO)

Justin Elliott | June 4, 2010, 9:08AM

South Carolina gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley (R)

During a radio interview Thursday afternoon Nikki Haley said she will resign if she is elected governor and the claims that she had extramarital affairs are proven to be true.

Keven Cohen of Columbia's WVOC, a mostly friendly interviewer, put the question to Haley in stark terms. Here's the exchange:

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South Carolina

Haley's Damage Control Strategy: Blame Her Enemies (VIDEO)

Justin Elliott | June 3, 2010, 12:29PM

Nikki Haley

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Nikki Haley's response to claims of infidelity has not been her denials, but the gusto with which she is blaming her opponents for orchestrating the allegations.

This instinct was on display at a debate in Charleston last night when Haley directly accused Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer of dirty politics for pushing the (she says) bogus story of a 2008 one-night stand with a Bauer campaign consultant, Larry Marchant.

Haley, the frontunner in the South Carolina GOP gubernatorial primary, has been following this tack since blogger Will Folks 10 days ago alleged an affair and Haley promptly accused her enemies of being behind the claim.

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South Carolina

Second SC GOP Consultant Claims Affair With Nikki Haley

Justin Elliott | June 3, 2010, 8:49AM

SC GOV candidate Nikki Haley (R) and lobbyist Larry Merchant.

So much for "What happens in Salt Lake City stays in Salt Lake City" ...

A second South Carolina GOP political consultant is claiming he had an affair with gubernatorial hopeful Nikki Haley -- a one-night stand in her hotel room at a June 2008 school choice conference in Salt Lake.

Here's the twist: the consultant, Larry Marchant, worked until his resignation yesterday for Andre Bauer, the current lieutenant governor and one of Haley's opponents in the Republican gubernatorial primary, which is just five days away.

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Nikki Haley

New Haley Ad: 'I've Seen The Dark Side' Of Politics -- And By The Way, Meet My Husband (VIDEO)

Justin Elliott | June 2, 2010, 8:41AM

Nikki Haley and her husband, Michael

With just six days to go before the Republican gubernatorial primary in South Carolina, front-runner Nikki Haley has released an ad that can only be interpreted as a direct response to the still unsubstantiated claim of an affair by blogger Will Folks.

"I've seen the dark side of our state's politics," the ad begins, with Haley's voice heard over ominous storm footage. It then flashes to Haley and her husband, along with their two young children, posing on the beach.

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2010 Elections

Gov. Sanford Sides Against Own Ex-Staffer On Haley Affair Claim

Justin Elliott | June 1, 2010, 4:08PM

South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford (R-SC)

Mark Sanford, who has survived a historically brazen sex scandal to remain in office as governor of South Carolina, today came out in defense of gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley -- a longtime political ally -- over the claim of an inappropriate physical relationship made by blogger and former Sanford spokesman Will Folks.

"I think that people see that stuff for what it is, which is politics as usual and in this case a particularly evil brand of politics as usual," Sanford said at a public event today, the AP reports.

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Nikki Haley

Haley Meets The Press: 'My Husband Is Doing Great' (VIDEO)

Justin Elliott | May 28, 2010, 4:01PM

Nikki Haley

South Carolina gubernatorial hopeful Nikki Haley, leading in the latest poll on the GOP primary, met a scrum of reporters after her radio appearance today and fielded question after question about an alleged affair with blogger Will Folks.

It makes for some compelling video that also highlights how Haley, clearly a talented communicator, has distinguished herself in the crowded GOP field.

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Nikki Haley

Haley: 'I Will Deal With This Situation Once This Election Is Over'

Justin Elliott | May 28, 2010, 9:58AM

South Carolina gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley and Will Folks

Appearing on South Carolina's WTMA radio this morning, gubernatorial hopeful Nikki Haley again denied the claim by blogger Will Folks that the two had an affair, and said without elaborating: "I will deal with this situation once this election is over."

Haley was asked by the extremely friendly WTMA interviewer -- who declared himself a Haley supporter and denounced Folks as a "smear merchant" -- about the phone records Folks released today that show lengthy early-morning phone calls with Haley in 2007. She noted that Folks was working for her at the time as a political consultant and said she makes calls when work needs to get done.

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Nikki Haley

Phone Records: Folks And Haley Spoke Often In Wee Hours

Justin Elliott | May 28, 2010, 8:55AM

Nikki Haley

South Carolina blogger Will Folks has released records of phone calls between himself and gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley that show many calls between the two in early morning hours in 2007, the year he says they had an affair -- but also the year he was doing political consulting work for Haley.

One August 7 call starting at 10:19 p.m. lasted three hours. On August 25, a call starting at 2:24 a.m. lasted two hours and 26 minutes. Perhaps the longest was on September 20, at 11:28 p.m., for three hours and 27 minutes. Most of the calls were shorter and during normal business hours. There are over 600 calls between the two in 2007.

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Nikki Haley

Folks Fires Back At RedState's Erickson: 'I Have Never Tried To Sell This Story'

Justin Elliott | May 27, 2010, 2:39PM

Will Folks (Erick Erickson inset)

This afternoon conservative commentator Erick Erickson of RedState, a strong supporter of South Carolina gubernatorial candidate NIkki Haley, accused blogger Will Folks of receiving a payoff to push the story of an alleged affair between Folks and Haley -- a charge Folks is strenuously denying.

In a post titled "BREAKING: We Know Who Did It," which features a Drudge siren, Erickson writes: "Who paid Will Folks? He was alleged offered money. A LOT of money. In fact, RedState now confirms through a whole heap of sources that he's been trying to sell this story for a year."

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Nikki Haley

Folks Claims 'Compromising' Photo Of Him And SC Gov Hopeful Exists

Justin Elliott | May 27, 2010, 11:43AM

South Carolina gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley and Will Folks

Another day, another intriguing post from Will Folks that does not offer real evidence he had an affair with Nikki Haley.

In his latest on FITSNews, Folks claims that he was presented in early 2009 -- two years after the alleged affair -- with a photo of him and Haley, a state representative and gubernatorial candidate:

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Nikki Haley

Haley Says She'll Address Affair Claim Soon, Folks Lawyers Up (VIDEO)

Justin Elliott | May 27, 2010, 9:26AM

Will Folks

South Carolina gubernatorial hopeful Nikki Haley has been dodging reporters for the last couple of days, but her campaign manager promised Wednesday that Haley will address a blogger's claim of an "inappropriate physical relationship" with her at the next debate, scheduled for Tuesday.

The primary election is one week later, on June 8.

Meanwhile, blogger Will Folks has reportedly hired a former Clinton-era U.S. attorney, Pete Strom, to represent him. Strom, now in private practice in Columbia, did not immediately return a call.

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Nikki Haley

GOP Operative On Folks/Haley: 'I Don't Know If The Rumors Are True'

Justin Elliott | May 26, 2010, 6:25PM

Wes Donehue

The South Carolina Republican operative whose texts to blogger Will Folks referred to an affair between Folks and gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley said this afternoon that he did not know one way or the other if there had actually been a relationship.

"I don't know if the rumors are true," said Wes Donehue on his Web radio show Pub Politics. "I don't want to be in the situation I'm in."

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Nikki Haley

Haley Camp Confirms Texts To Blogger Are Real, But Still Denies Affair

Justin Elliott | May 26, 2010, 11:24AM

South Carolina gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley (R)

Nikki Haley campaign manager Tim Pearson has confirmed to CNN that the texts posted by blogger Will Folks, in which the two seem to discuss how to squelch media interest in a relationship between Haley and Folks, are authentic.

But Pearson told CNN he was merely trying to beat back "false rumors" from appearing in the press. He continued:

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Nikki Haley

Purported Haley-gate Text: 'Your The One Who Screwed Her'

Justin Elliott | May 26, 2010, 8:11AM

South Carolina gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley and Will Folks

South Carolina blogger and political consultant Will Folks has released a series of what he claims are text messages between himself, an AP reporter, another GOP political operative, and the campaign manager for gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley -- with whom Folks claims he had an inappropriate physical relationship.

The texts, posted on Folks site, FITSNews, are dated about 10 days ago and consist of discussions about various reporters working on a story that involves Haley and Folks, and how to kill the story. In one May 15 text, Haley campaign manager Tim Pearson tells Folks "I'm telling you man, we keep this under wraps and nh is going to win."

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Nikki Haley

Folks Consulting Lawyer To 'Protect My Website And My Reputation'

Justin Elliott | May 25, 2010, 2:02PM

Will Folks

South Carolina blogger and political consultant Will Folks is feeling embattled one day after going public with the claim of an "inappropriate physical relationship" with gubernatorial hopeful Nikki Haley -- to the point where he is now consulting a lawyer for advice on how to "take some steps to protect the credibility of my website and my reputation," he told TPMmuckraker in a phone interview.

"I anticipated a denial from her, but I never anticipated a full fledged character assassination," said Folks.

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Nikki Haley

Haley: My Enemies Are Behind Blogger's Claim Of Affair With Me

Justin Elliott | May 25, 2010, 11:21AM

South Carolina gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley (R)

In a radio interview Monday, South Carolina gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley accused her GOP primary opponents of being responsible for blogger and political consultant Will Folks' claim that he had an "inappropriate physical relationship" with the married Haley a few years ago.

Throughout the interview with WORD radio host Bob McLain, Haley paints Folks' claim as the work of enemies (she frequently refers to "they") including her opponents and entrenched state interests, rather than simply coming from Folks himself. She again denies any affair.

McLain asked Haley if she felt "as if a competitive campaign, somebody in an opposition camp, is behind this release on this website today?"

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Nikki Haley

Report: Blogger Claiming Affair Has Years Of Text Messages With SC Gov Candidate

Justin Elliott | May 25, 2010, 9:36AM

South Carolina gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley and Will Folks

The website of the prominent South Carolina blogger who claims he had an "inappropriate physical relationship" with gubernatorial front-runner Nikki Haley is claiming in a new post that there are five years worth of emails, voicemails, and text messages between the two -- though the site, FITSNews, isn't saying much about what the correspondence reveals.

The blogger, Will Folks, claimed Monday he had the relationship with Haley several years ago, while she was married. Haley, a Republican state representative who has garnered national support for her campaign, promptly and "categorically" denied Folks' claim.

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Nikki Haley

SC Gov Candidate Denies 'Inappropriate Physical Relationship' With Prominent Blogger

Justin Elliott | May 24, 2010, 12:25PM

South Carolina gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley (R)

A prominent South Carolina blogger, Will Folks of FITSNews, claimed today that several years ago he had "an inappropriate physical relationship" with South Carolina Republican gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley -- prompting a swift denial from Haley.

Folks, a former spokesman for Gov. Mark Sanford and a self-proclaimed supporter of Haley's gubernatorial campaign, said the relationship occurred before he was married. Haley, a state representative, has been married since the mid-1990s and has two children.

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