Lt. Gov. Ard resigns, Sen. McConnell to fill office

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP/WOLO) — South Carolina Lt. Gov. Ken Ard resigned Friday amid a criminal investigation into whether he spent campaign money on personal items. Ard stepped down at 10 a.m. Friday in a letter given to Gov. Nikki Haley and state Senate leaders. He also issued a statement, saying he was sorry and it was his responsibility to make sure his 2010 campaign money was spent correctly. “There are no excuses, nor is there need to share blame. It is my fault that the events of the past year have taken place,” Ard said in the statement. South Carolina Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell says he will be the next lieutenant governor in South Carolina. The Charleston Republican will take over from Ken Ard, who resigned Friday morning amid a criminal investigation into whether he spent campaign money on personal items. McConnell says he has a moral obligation to follow the state constitution no matter how difficult it might be personally. McConnell’s announcement two hours after Ard stepped down was a surprise. McConnell has been in the Senate for 31 years and leader of the body for the past decade, amassing a vast amount of power. Some senators though he might step aside briefly and let someone else become lieutenant governor, which has little power except to preside over the Senate. The state grand jury began investigating Ard in July. The 48-year-old Republican has already paid a $48,000 ethics fine for using money from his campaign to pay for personal items, like clothes, football tickets and a flat-screen TV. Attorney General Alan Wilson, who oversees the grand jury, has called a news conference with State Law Enforcement Division chief Mark Keel for 1 p.m. Friday. Wilson’s office refused to say what Wilson would discuss. Ard easily won election in 2010 and then freely spent campaign cash on tickets to the 2010 Southeastern Conference title game where South Carolina’s football team played, as well as iPads, clothes, a flat-screen television and video game system. One spending spree at a Best Buy emptied $3,056 from his account. Ard paid the $48,000 fine in July after being hit with 107 civil counts of using campaign cash for personal expenses that also included a family vacation, clothes and meals. He also had to pay $12,500 to cover the costs of the state Ethics Commission investigation and had to reimburse his campaign $12,000. Within two weeks, Wilson set up a task force to review the ethics findings and referred the investigation to the state grand jury to determine whether it merited criminal prosecution. Ard promised full cooperation with the investigations and said he too had sought a full review on the day the grand jury news broke. However, the attorney general’s office said Ard had only sought a State Law Enforcement Division investigation – something that would have delayed the grand jury’s work. The lieutenant governor is paid $46,545 for the part-time job. He presides over the Senate when it is in session and also is in charge of the state Office on Aging. Ard released the following statement when he resigned from office: “I want to thank the great people of South Carolina for the incredible opportunity to serve as their Lieutenant Governor. It truly has been an honor and an experience I will never forget. The love and support you have shown my entire family has been humbling and something I will always remember. I also want to thank my family, especially my wife, Tammy, and my three children, Jesse, Mason, and Libby. You have lived this experience with me. There were challenges and setbacks, but you were steadfast in your support and were there for me at every turn. To those who volunteered and worked on our campaign, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You were always there and never expected anything in return. To my staff, I have nothing but praise. Your professionalism and work ethic have been exemplary from day one. You have remained focused on carrying out the duties of our office in spite of other distractions. To all of the above and more, I owe a great apology. During my campaign, it was my responsibility to make sure things were done correctly. I did not do that. There are no excuses nor is there need to share blame. It is my fault that the events of the past year have taken place. I regret the distraction this has caused for the people of this state, my family, my staff, and other elected officials in South Carolina. It is because of these mistakes that I must take full ownership and resign from the Office of Lieutenant Governor. Once again, I am deeply sorry and take full responsibility for the entire situation.”