From John Monk, South Carolina’s The State:
Richland, SC – The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and the 5th Circuit solicitor’s office are investigating the finances of Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Alvin Greene to see whether any laws have been broken in the way he has been representing his financial situation to the state court system.
SLED will use a new state law that allows the agency to issue an administrative subpoena to financial institutions, agency director Reggie Lloyd confirmed Sunday.
The confirmation of the formal investigation into Greene’s finances is the latest wrinkle in events surrounding Greene, who since winning the June 8 Democratic primary has attracted state and national attention.
Lloyd said his agency’s inquiry was triggered by inconsistencies between Greene’s assertion to the court that he had no money and needed a taxpayer-supported lawyer, and his unexplained acquisition of $10,400 to pay the filing fee.
“We want to see how he came up with the money,” Lloyd said.
Greene has told reporters that the $10,400 was money he had saved. But he declined to produce records to show where the money came from.
National news media have portrayed the Greene situation as yet another bizarre act in South Carolina’s unending episodes of political weirdness, including racist statements and public adultery confessions and charges by prominent people in public life.
Greene’s situation has embarrassed Democrats, who are mortified their party nominated such an unknown to face U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., in November. The GOP has already begun to use Greene’s victory to belittle the gubernatorial bid of Sen. Vincent Sheheen, D-Kershaw. Despite there being no evidence Sheheen and Greene even knew each other, Republicans already publicly assert that voters should consider the two Democrats a package.
Continue to the full article at South Carolina’s The State.