“I think the treasurer is a clown” — lawmakers react to Senate’s vote to oust Loftis
COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — On Monday evening, SC Senators voted to oust SC Treasurer Curtis Loftis from his position.
The hearing stemmed from a $1.8 billion accounting error that grew over a decade.
“After today’s hearing, I am confident that you will understand Treasurer Loftis’s incompetency and unfitness to discharge the duties. And that it is your duty to require his removal,” says Senator Larry Grooms, speaking before fellow lawmakers on Monday.
And most senators agreed, with SC Republican dominated Senate voting to ax Loftis, who’s also a Republican, from his role in a 33 to 8 vote.
The treasurer issued a statement after their decision saying, “I am not surprised by today’s outcome. We knew this process would be more political in nature than the serious legal hearing one would expect to overturn a statewide election. But today is just one step in this process, and we will now weigh our options on next steps. I want to reaffirm to the citizens of South Carolina that I as your State Treasurer and the members of my Office have faithfully fulfilled our statutory duties to provide core financial management services to state government. To be clear, there was no mysterious bank account, no missing or stolen money, and all funds managed by my office are accounted for and reconciled to the bank. South Carolinians can rest assured that their money is safe and secure. We had not one, but two outside audit firms who confirmed that this was an accounting entry that impacted the Comptroller General’s annual financial reports, not the actual bank balances of the state. My staff and I have spent countless hours working on this matter because we all have a passion and commitment to the taxpayers of this state. I want to thank them and my legal team for their efforts in preparation for today. I believe it’s time to put this political gamesmanship behind us and work together to reassure everyone of the strength of our financial system moving forward.”
Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey wants Loftis replaced, but voted for him to keep his position for now, saying presenters in the hearing didn’t prove their case against Loftis.
“Having said that, I think the treasurer is a clown. And I think he’s a manipulator and I don’t think he should be the treasurer. And I would hope that we could find a better candidate to run in next year’s election, but I don’t think we can remove people just because we don’t like them,” says Massey.
One of those presenters was Senator Stephen Goldfinch.
“Look, if the majority leader doesn’t think I did a good enough job to convince him then that’s on me not him, I’ll take responsibility for that, but thankfully 33 senators did believe that I had enough evidence, so, he’s right about that, the guy is a clown. The guy does not deserve to have the office. It’s a very important office for the state of SC, he doesn’t deserve that office, he’s not qualified for that office, and the guy is a proven liar. And that’s not the kind of person you want being your state’s banker,” says Goldfinch.
Goldfinch also saying he hopes the SC House does the right thing and takes up the vote.
House Representative Heather Bauer has previously called on fellow lawmakers to impeach Loftis, and agrees the House must act.
“Treasurer Curtis Loftis has not told the truth. He has hid issues for over a decade. Sometimes cooking the books in order to hide this error. It’s unfathomable. And he should be held responsible,” Bauer says.
As the measure moves to the House, another two-thirds vote will be needed to remove Loftis as treasurer. If a majority vote occurs there, law states the governor must remove him from the position.
