Is Nikki Haley Toast in South Carolina?

I live in South Carolina and am very active in local politics. With the latest scandal trying to break in South Carolina involving a Republican and a sexual affair I thought I would offer something from the sense on the ground … and it ain’t purty.

A few days ago Will Folks (former spokesman for Governor Mark Sanford) dropped a bombshell in claiming that he had an “inappropriate physical relationship” with Representative Nikki Haley. Haley is the front runner for the Republican nomination for Governor and a recent recipient of a strong endorsement from Sara Palin.

Folks is coming across as a grandstanding scumbag and has offered absolutely nothing convincing as to why he needed to drop this story just a few days before the primary.

Ace has clearly cast his lot with Haley and is going all in blasting Folks. Now Folks does seem like a douche but that doesn’t mean that he’s lying.

Today Folks posted what he claims is a text dialogue between himself and a couple of key players in this saga. Wes Donahue is a close supporter of another governor hopeful and former US Congressman Gresham Barrett. Tim Pearson is Nikki Haley’s campaign manager.

Here is a sampling of the conversation. Later in the conversation an AP reporter named Jim Davenport jumps in.

From Will Folks
To: Wes Donehue
Sent: May 14, 2010 10:24 AM
You’ve already rolled the dice.
—— SMS ——
From: Wes Donehue
To: Will Folks
Sent: May 14, 2010 10:25 AM
Actually, I haven’t.
—— SMS ——
From: Wes Donehue
To: Will Folks
Sent: May 14, 2010 10:36 AM
Now, I don’t give a fuck of you believe me or not. Your the one who screwed her. You’re the one who bragged about it. She’s the one who told BJ. Yall point fingers at your own damn selves and leave me the fuck out of it.
—— SMS ——
From: Tim Pearson
To: Will Folks
Sent: May 14, 2010 11:10 AM
All good?
—— SMS ——
From: Will Folks
To: Tim Pearson
Sent: May 14, 2010 11:12 AM
He seems to be backing down, yeah. Dunno if that kills it or what.
—— SMS ——
From: Wes Donehue
To: Will Folks
Sent: May 14, 2010 11:50 AM
I’m going to try to kill it. You need to get BJ to back down. Nothing good will come of this getting out. I’ve already helped bust up one family. No need to take down another one.
—— SMS ——
From: Wes Donehue
To: Will Folks
Sent: May 14, 2010 12:28 PM
I didn’t start this. I just told too many people that it was happening.
—— SMS ——
From: Tim Pearson
To: Will Folks
Sent: May 14, 2010 1:05 PM
Tks for your help this am.

There’s a lot more to this but it doesn’t look good for Haley on a couple of points.

Since none of the principals in this exchange have denied its authenticity (something any innocent politician would do immediately), I think it would be foolish to dismiss it out of hand.

The Haley camp has so far not threatened any legal action. Of course it is not libel if it’s true and any legal action would quickly collect any electronic messages which according to Folks go back four years.

Does this prove that Haley had an affair with Folks? Of course not.

Would it matter if she did? Damn skippy it would!

After the embarrassment conservatives endured with the sordid Mark Sanford affair, no Republican with a record of whoring around on their spouse is getting the nod.

Do I think she had an affair with this idiot? I’m desperately trying to keep an open mind but my gut is telling me to find another Republican.

UPDATE 1: Day two since release of text traffic; still no denials from any of the parties involved.

UPDATE 2: RedState has an alert that they know who paid Folks to smear Haley!

Note to RedState: That fact that Folks may have been paid for the story proves further that he is a scumbag; it does not prove that he wasn’t laying the pipe to Haley.

Haley called this a distraction. Usually a “distraction” in politics means a politician is seeing their own blood in the water and the sharks are starting to circle.

Category: Politics