Columbia, SC – The Senate dominated by the Republicans of South Carolina and its elected Republican treasurer faced Monday at an extraordinary audience while the senators try to kick the treasurer out of office More than one accounting error of $ 1.8 billion.
The audience is the culmination of more than two years of research by the Senate that began when state counters unwittingly exaggerated money granted to schools and universities in $ 3.5 billion.
That led to the discovery of a account error that began a decade ago when the State changed from one accounting system to another. If the counters could not balance the tickets in the two sets of books, since they moved thousands of accounts with different definitions, they continued to add it to a special account year after year until it grew at $ 1.8 billion.
Forensic counters were needed, who were paid millions of dollars in rates, to finally unravel that almost all $ 1.8 billion were No real money But only an accumulation of errors.
The two Republican senators who ask the loftis to be expelled from office said will no longer trust to handle the bank accounts of South Carolina. He was accused that he is incompetent and never informed errors to legislators as required by law while refusing to assume responsibility.
“He is a liar who was so worried about his public appearance that he would do and say anything to cover up his mistake,” Stepador Stephen Goldfinch said.
Loftis has called the Senate investigation a Witch hunt. He said repeatedly No money was lost And mistakes were not made in their office, although others have testified differently. The treasurer said that continuing to focus on errors threatens the strong credit qualification of the State.
His lawyer Deborah Barbier opened the case of three hours of the treasurer with a photo of Loftis and Republican President Donald Trump on a screen. She pointed out that he has won the elections four times and will face voters again in a primary in 14 months. Loftis has previously said that it would not apply for re -election.
“People do not want them to be told that you are better than them,” Barbier said from a temporary leave in the back of the state Senate Chamber. “Let the problems like this are decided at the polls.”
Senators can ask questions at the end of the audience. The Senate would need a two -third vote to decide Loftis committed “deliberate negligence of duty” and send the matter to the camera, which must also make its own two -thirds vote to eliminate the treasurer.
Thirty -one of the 40 senators present on Monday will have to vote against the loftis to maintain the process.
No office holder has been eliminated in this way since South Carolina became a state 225 years ago.
Republican leaders in the camera have not given any indication of whether they will address the matter.
The books have not yet been completely straightened, and the counters continue to fight with the Loftis office and how they handle the bank accounts of the state, Grooms said.
The treasurer is trying to protect his 14 years in office and reputation as a competent conservative administrator who is always looking for taxpayers, Grooms said.
“Due to its failures, self -proclaimed taxpayer’s best friend is costing taxpayers tens of millions in legal, audit and supervision rates,” Grooms said. “With friends like this, which needs tax and expenses liberals.”
A Senate Subcommittee Audiences held question loftis under oath. They have been controversial. Loftis has criticized the documents, accused the senators of a witch hunt and threatened to get up and leave.
He showed no external sign of frustration or anger when the audience began on Monday.
