Over more than two decades in office, North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey has given his friends high-paying government jobs and helped affluent developers, a Post and Courier investigation finds. He dodges campaign finance limits through the “LLC loophole.” He might not get away with this under the ethics laws in other states, but South Carolina is a whole 'nother story.
From the Post and Courier:
Read Full Article »Summey makes no apologies about his penchant for hiring people close to him.
“I sure as hell wouldn't want to hire anybody that's not loyal,” he said.
Summey backers say that who you know may get you in the door in North Charleston, but it's what you do that will keep you there.
"He always says if he has to do it, why does he need you?" said city spokesman and economic development assistant Ryan Johnson, who over the last decade worked his way up from temporary phone operator to one of the city's most visible jobs. He now makes $98,000 a year, about $20,000 more than a similar spokesman in Charleston city government
