SC House member expects to pay off ethics fines by fall
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina Rep. Harold Mitchell says he expects to pay off more than $16,000 in ethics fines by September.
The House Ethics Committee agreed Tuesday to a payment plan, one year after ordering the Spartanburg Democrat to pay $16,100 in fines on what it called unintentional violations dating to 2008. Mitchell was also ordered to reimburse his campaign account nearly $7,400 for improper expenses.
Mitchell has paid $4,600 so far this year directly toward the fines, not realizing he could reimburse his account and then apply that money to the fines.
His attorney says Mitchell is in recovery financially after paying hefty fees to another attorney who defended him from Department of Revenue allegations. Mitchell pleaded guilty in 2012 to two misdemeanor counts of not paying his taxes on time.
