Sanford grant money yet to be refunded

A tangle of legal and accounting issues has delayed the return of $101,524 left over from a conference partially funded with public money and given to a political group with close ties to Gov. Mark Sanford.

The money has not yet been returned, said Office of State Treasurer spokesman Scott Malyerck. Helen Hill, executive director of the Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the group has sent the money to the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism.

The money has been disputed since state Sen. Jake Knotts, R-Lexington, uncovered the transfer three weeks ago. The Charleston Area CVB received a $150,000 grant from the state competitive grants committee in June 2006 to help host the National Governors Association conference.

Organizers also raised $1.2 million in private donations for the event, which was moved from Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast.

After closing the books on the conference, more than $100,000 remained. E-mails obtained under state public information laws show a member of Sanford's staff asked the Charleston CVB to transfer the money to Carolinians for Reform in August.

Carolinians for Reform has not said what it planned to do with the money. After the transfer was discovered, Sanford asked the group to return the money.

But state law restricts the ability of private groups to write a check directly to the state treasury, Malyerck said. Hill said the money had to be returned through the Charleston CVB, who received the original grant.

The Charleston CVB had to answer accounting questions about the grant money, which was spent on its original purpose of transportation, she said, before the money could be returned.

"They're going to return it through us," Hill said of Carolinians for Reform. "We're working it out. It should be done this week. It just took a little longer than we thought."

Comments

[anonymous]

Must be a lot of red tape involved at Carolinians for Reform.

[Random Gamecock]

what a misleading title, calling it "Sanford Grant Money."

Shouldn't the headline read "Charleston Hertiage Foundation Grant Money" ?? Or would that not sell enough newspapers?

[anonymous]

Sanford asked for it. Sanford then gave the leftovers to his political buddies. Sounds like an apt headline to me, Random Gamecock.

[Grant]

So I'm a little confused. How much money was left un-returned and how did these people get away with this!?