Haley scraps Romney campaigning after hacking

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has canceled last-minute campaigning plans for GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney to focus on an investigation into hacking of state records.

Haley spokesman Rob Godfrey said Thursday the governor decided to stay home after the hacking incident that has affected millions of South Carolina taxpayers.

Haley had been scheduled to campaign for Romney this weekend in swing states including Ohio. Election Day is Tuesday.

Last week, Haley and state police announced that roughly 3.6 million personal South Carolina income tax returns had been compromised after an attack from an overseas hacker. Officials have also said that up to 657,000 businesses in the state had also been affected.

Experts say this may be the largest cyber-attack against a state tax department in the nation’s history.