Gov. Haley releases fundraising totals, including many out-of-state donations

COLUMBIA — Nearly two-thirds of Gov. Nikki Haley's third quarter campaign cash came from out of state donors, according to her latest campaign disclosure forms.

The governor's disclosure forms filed late Monday reveal that she raised about $223,000 in the last quarter and spent about a third of it. More than $140,000 came from out-of-state donors.

She received cash from donors in 19 states, with contributions that include $20 from a Colorado retiree, $3,500 from a New Jersey CEO, $500 from a Michigan assistant, $100 from a New York teacher, $2,000 from a Greenville homemaker, $3,500 from a Texas-based Indian American group and $5 from a California clerk.

The governor also received hefty donations from the insurance industry and other business interests, such as Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations out of Nashville, Tenn. The company announced in September that it would bring a $1.2 billion investment and 850 jobs to South Carolina by 2020, the largest initial capital investment in the state's history.

Haley has $214,500 on hand. Her contributions for the quarter include nearly $24,000 in in-kind contributions, which includes flights. She spent about $74,500.

Her expenses detail money the governor paid for consulting, telephone costs, postage, printing and office expenses. It also shows that she paid event expenses in companies and individuals in Texas, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey and Michigan.

The governor has been criticized for a lack of transparency when it comes to out-of-state fundraisers. For instance, the governor held two out-of-state fundraising trips in Michigan and Texas within the same week in late September and neither were disclosed on her public schedule. The governor has taken about 25 out-of-state trips since she was elected in November, including one international economic development swing through Europe.

Haley's spokesman has defended the governor by noting that she discloses more of her schedule than her predecessors did, and that campaign fundraisers are not part of her official duties as governor and therefore don't appear on the schedule released by her office. The governor also releases a flight log that includes how her travel was paid for, something previous governors have not provided.

Most of the newspaper's recent questions about Haley's fundraising efforts were referred to a campaign spokeswoman, who refused to answer them, referring to the governor's campaign disclosure forms.

The disclosure forms show only part of the story. The report lists all of the donations the governor received, the name of the donor, where they live and their occupation. What it does not show is where the money was raised.

Check back with postandcourier.com for updates and analysis of the governor’s disclosure reports.