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'Unprecedented' Political Power Structure Created by South Carolina Firm's 'Tentacles'

In South Carolina one political consulting firm represents more than 25 lawmakers, a couple of large state agencies and a quartet of the state's biggest corporations.

In South Carolina one political consulting firm represents more than 25 lawmakers, a couple of large state agencies and a quartet of the state's biggest corporations.

 

The firm has amassed the kind of power that can steer legislation, push wish lists in the state budget, mold regulations or kill proposals even before they have a hearing. It's the kind of power that has built the perception that hiring this firm is necessary to getting business done in the state.

 

Questions over the propriety of that kind of influence are facing Richard Quinn & Associates as the powerful Columbia-area consulting firm remains the focus of a Statehouse corruption investigation that is once again showing signs of life after a two-month public hiatus.

 

 

“The Quinn organization and the tentacles they’ve got in respect to politics," said Neal Thigpen, one of South Carolina's foremost political scientists, "is nothing I have ever encountered before.”

 

 

 

Investigators have collected records from Quinn clients, including the state's flagship university (University of South Carolina), largest insurer (BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina) and biggest utility (SCANA). Former lawmakers who worked with Quinn have gone before the State Grand Jury. The State newspaper has reported that investigators raided the firm's offices and hauled away boxes of records. Soon after, a Quinn client, Sen. John Courson, was indicted on accusations of laundering $133,000 in campaign money through the consulting firm.

Caroline Cournoyer is GOVERNING's senior web editor.
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