The Nerve

Update: In email responses on 11/19/20 and 11/20/20 after The Nerve submitted a state Freedom of Information Act request for updated records on the Juul plant project, S.C. Department of Commerce spokeswoman Alex Clark confirmed the recent closure of the plant, and also said a $500,000 state grant agreement for the project was terminated, and […]

By RICK BRUNDRETT Over the years, lawmakers have legally made it easy for themselves to continue making money after leaving office through their connections in the Legislature and elsewhere in state and local government. Under state law, for example, legislators can become lobbyists just a year after leaving office. In recent years, at least four […]

By RICK BRUNDRETT Since 2015, state colleges and universities have paid a total of more than $1.5 million to lobbyists – mainly to influence S.C. lawmakers – while overall student tuition and school debt loads have steadily increased, a review by The Nerve found. Lobbying reports filed with the State Ethics Commission show that from […]