SC’s Haley personally lobs accusation at speaker

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is personally accusing the speaker of the House of meddling in an ethics investigation of her, a day after her staff did made the same charges.

The Republican governor blasted Republican Speaker Bobby Harrell of Charleston in a news conference Friday, saying he’s giving orders to the Ethics Committee staff.

Harrell spokesman Greg Foster says the speaker did not Foster says Harrell asked only that the committee thoroughly investigate the complaint against Haley.

Foster accuses the governor of an untruthful campaign of distraction.

The back-and-forth comes as Haley’s office turned over documents the committee requested last week.

The committee dismissed the charges earlier this month, immediately after finding probable cause to investigate them. Haley says it’s unprecedented for the committee to reopen a dismissed case.