Firms keep giving to Haley after election

Gov. Nikki Haley has collected nearly $50,000 in campaign donations from business interests and their political action committees - home builders and real estate agents, insurers, information technology companies - since Election Day, according to her most recent campaign finance report.

That is in addition to roughly $700,000, almost all from businesses, pledged to pay for a black-tie gala and other inaugural activities.

The donations came as Haley weighed appointments to state agencies and boards that regulate many of the industries that contributed and as those industries started pitching their agendas to lawmakers opening their legislative session.

Some donors gave both to Haley's campaign and the inaugural committee.

Haley, a Republican who was a state representative from Lexington, raised $394,228 from businesses and individuals between October and December, and just under $4 million during her campaign, according to state finance reports. She has $27,434 remaining in her campaign account.

Her Democratic opponent, state Sen. Vincent Sheheen of Camden, raised $444,210 during the election's final quarter and just under $4 million during his campaign. Sheheen raised about $6,000 since losing the Nov. 2 election to Haley.

The donations have no impact on Haley's policies or priorities, said spokesman Rob Godfrey. "Of course not."

Some of those donating to Haley also gave to Sheheen, including the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the AT&T South Carolina political action committee and the S.C. Financial Services Association political action committee.

Among business interests, home builders, developers and real estate agents have contributed the most to Haley since her election, donating at least $17,500.

The top priority of real estate agents for this legislative session is changing a 2006 law that ties a property's tax value to its selling price at the time of its sale. Real estate interests say the so-called point-of-sale law has helped depress already depressed home and land sales. They say some buyers have backed out of deals upon learning they would get a higher tax bill after the sale.

Nick Kremydas with the S.C. Association of Realtors said his group donated to Haley after Election Day because it did not endorse a candidate.

"It's not unusual for us. We're very involved in the political process," Kremydas said of the group's $3,500 contribution. "The political action committee is a tool that helps open a line of communication."

Technology giant Hewlett-Packard and chicken powerhouse Perdue both gave a $3,500 donation to Haley's campaign during the fourth quarter and, according to the inaugural program, made a $5,000 inaugural donation.

Inaugural committee Chairman Katon Dawson, a former chairman of the S.C. GOP, said he did not yet have a total fundraising figure for the inaugural events. When all the donations are in, the committee will release a public report, he added.

Dawson said the inaugural committee met its initial fundraising budget of $600,000. The program for the black-tie inaugural gala indicates the committee may have surpassed that goal. Businesses and individuals pledged at least $735,000 to pay for inaugural activities, according to the inaugural program.

Six donors - BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, Boeing, Duke Energy, Florence businessman Rex Huggins, Progress Energy and SCANA - gave $25,000 each and were recognized as platinum sponsors. Eight businesses, including tobacco company Altria, gave $15,000, making them gold sponsors, while 21 donated $10,000 as silver sponsors. Another 51 gave $5,000 as bronze sponsors.

Of the 86 inaugural donors, 79 were businesses.

The inaugural events were for all statewide elected officials, not just Haley, Dawson said. Dawson said donors often include the inaugural expense in their budgets and do not expect anything in return.

"They knew we couldn't go to the taxpayers and ask them," said Dawson, alluding to South Carolina's $829 million budget shortfall.