Nikki Haley shrugs off dispute

Alan Hawes // The Post and Courier

Gov. Nikki Haley waves to protesters gathered outside Physician's Auditorium before her town hall meeting Wednesday at the College of Charleston.

Gov. Nikki Haley said Wednesday that she wasn't concerned about paperwork on file at the Lexington Medical Center claiming that she earned $125,000 a year in her previous job -- more than four times as much as she actually did.

Haley, who was then a state House member, worked for the Medical Center before leaving that job to run for governor. On Tuesday, The State obtained an Aug. 5, 2008, job application that said she earned $125,000 a year. Her previous job with her family's clothing business paid her $22,000 in 2007.

"I'm not concerned about it. It was a piece of paper that I didn't fill out, that I didn't sign, that had no information from me on it at all," Haley said after her town hall meeting in Charleston. "I never gave that ($125,000) number."

Mark Shelley, director of marketing and public relations at the medical center, said Wednesday that the center did not change Haley's application or fill out the application on her behalf.

Shelley said someone other than Haley could have filled it out, but that person would have had to have access to Haley's Social Security number, her

user name and password created for the application process, the answer to a security question and the details of Haley's job history.

Asked if she feared how the discrepancy might affect her credibility, she replied, "Go on the website and you'll see for yourself. I didn't sign it."

The issue of Haley's previous job wasn't among the approximately 20 questions posed to her during the town hall.

North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey, who received about as much applause as Haley when he took the mike, asked her to support the city's effort to prevent port containers from being shipped by train through the city's northern neighborhoods.

"We're not anti-port. We're not anti-rail. We're anti- shoving it down our throat when we were told it wasn't going to happen," Summey said.

Haley said she would have S.C. Commerce Secretary Bobby Hitt meet with Summey again, adding, "Let's agree to resolve this soon." Summey replied, "I've got five lawyers (on retainer). I want to resolve it soon."

Several dozen parents of special-needs children attended the town hall and expressed concern about state cuts to their services, particularly rehab therapies. Haley replied that if a child's therapy is cut off, it can be reinstated with a note from the child's general practitioner.

Brooke Hartig of Charleston, whose daughter has special needs, stood in line during Haley's answer saying, "That's not true." However, Hartig later met with Haley and learned that such a change did take effect this week.

"I think she did a good job," Hartig later said of Haley. "We're just going to have to keep working with them on it and showing up as a group."

Before Haley answered questions, the crowd of about 500 sat through a brief video about Haley and her agenda that put off some in the audience, including College of Charleston adjunct political science professor Jeri Cabot.

"I felt myself getting angry about it because it felt too much like a campaign," she said. "It's like she's planning her re-election."

Cabot praised Haley's performance during the question-and-answer session. "She's good on her feet. She acknowledged the questions," Cabot said, "but she punts a lot," referring questioners to staffers and saying she will get back to them.

Once the questions stopped, Haley lingered for 45 minutes to answer questions from those who didn't get a chance to ask them before -- and to pose for pictures.

Another issue that the public didn't pose to Haley Wednesday was the departure of Darla Moore, one of the University of South Carolina's greatest benefactors, from the school's board of trustees.

Haley appointed Lexington lawyer Tommy Cofield to replace Moore, who has donated $70 million to the university and for whom its School of Business is named.

Haley has said she wanted a "fresh set of eyes" on the board. After the town hall, Haley was asked if she has talked to Moore. "I left her a message. She has not returned the call," Haley said.

Haley, who will hold the last of seven town halls Monday in Bluffton, said she plans to hold a series of similar town halls this fall.

She is scheduled to attend the Hibernian Society's annual St. Patrick's Day banquet in Charleston today, perhaps becoming the first woman to do so. Society members could not be reached to confirm this potential first for their closed and traditionally bawdy affair.