Haley's Big Problem: For Govs, "It's Not About Talk, It's About What They Do"
What She Does Proves Her Grossly Incompetent & Ethically-Challenged
WASHINGTON, DC—Democratic Governors Association Communications Director Danny Kanner today issued the following statement regarding Nikki Haley’s comments in Scottsdale:
“At the RGA conference in Scottsdale today, Nikki Haley said that for governors, ‘it’s not about talk, it’s about what they do.’ She’s right, but given that every action she takes proves her more grossly incompetent and ethically-challenged than her last, she’s got a big problem headed into 2014. While the rhetoric sounds good, this is not a governor with a record to be proud of.”
Here are the facts about what Haley’s really doing in South Carolina:
HACKING SCANDAL
Governor Haley waited more than 2 weeks to inform 6.4 million consumers and businesses in South Carolina that their tax information had been hacked under her watch. A computer chief at the S.C. Department of Revenue did not heed warnings about cyber-security shortcomings at that state agency before hackers stole personal financial data belonging to 6.4 million consumers and business, a former agency employee told lawmakers Thursday. [The State, 1/4/13]
Governor Haley and her administration ignored warnings on cybersecurity prior to the hacking. “A computer chief at the S.C. Department of Revenue did not heed warnings about cyber-security shortcomings at that state agency before hackers stole personal financial data belonging to 6.4 million consumers and business, a former agency employee told lawmakers Thursday.” [The State, 1/4/13]
Haley does turn-about on hacking preventability. “As the investigation into the hack into the S.C. Department of Revenue progressed, some of Gov. Nikki Haley’s public statements about the breach necessarily evolved. But concerning the preventability of the hack and whether the state or an employee enabled it, the governor staked out positions at the beginning that she has now fully reversed.”[Post & Courier, 11/12/12]
TB OUTBREAK
Nikki Haley’s administration hid a TB outbreak at public school from parents for two months while their kids were exposed. “Parents in the town are incensed that they weren’t told about the disease threat until May 28 and that their children weren’t tested for the disease until May 31. DHEC staffers learned that a school janitor had tuberculosis March 8. He is believed to have spread the disease. Templeton freely acknowledged this week that her agency responded poorly to the tuberculosis threat, telling The State newspaper that ‘DHEC screwed this up.’” [The State, 7/19/13]
ETHICS CHALLENGES
Governor Haley consistently misuses taxpayer-funded resources for political and campaign travel. “The sudden revelation last week that Haley had used a state-owned vehicle for travel in North Carolina piqued the interest of the State Ethics Commission, the agency that has jurisdiction over statewide officeholders like the governor, but not lawmakers.” [Charleston City Paper, 8/30/13]
Nikki Haley flew campaign staff on the state plane 43 times in one year. “The South Carolina Senate voted Thursday to sell the state’s two airplanes after accusations that Gov. Nikki Haley had misused them by taking a campaign staffer on taxpayer-funded flights.” [Associated Press, 5/16/2013] “According to flight records… Pippin traveled by airplane with the governor 17 times on 43 legs between March 2012 and April 2013.” [Columbia Patch, 5/31/13]
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