STATEHOUSE REPORT | ISSUE 20.44 | OCT. 29, 2021
BIG STORY: Feds settle suit on killer’s gun purchase for $88 million
NEWS BRIEFS: Bulk of S.C. housing aid not spen
LOWCOUNTRY, Ariail: A full comeback
COMMENTARY, Brack: Battle for state’s top education job getting started now
SPOTLIGHT: Charter Communications
FEEDBACK: Send us your thoughts
MYSTERY PHOTO: Is it haunted?
Feds settle suit on killer’s gun purchase for $88 million
Staff reports | The U.S. Justice Department on Thursday announced an $88 million settlement of a lawsuit that claimed the Federal Bureau of Investigation was negligent in failing to stop a South Carolina man from buying the gun he used to kill nine people in 2015 at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston.
The settlement, which will be split between five survivors and families of the victims, reportedly is one of the largest civil rights settlements in history.
“The mass shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church was a horrific hate crime that caused immeasurable suffering for the families of the victims and the survivors,” said U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in a Thursday statement. “Since the day of the shooting, the Justice Department has sought to bring justice to the community, first by a successful hate crime prosecution and today by settling civil claims.”
The convicted killer, Dylann Roof, was sentenced to the death penalty for the killings, and is currently on federal death row in Indiana.
“The nation grieved following the mass shooting at Mother Emanuel, and no one was more profoundly affected than the families of the victims and the survivors we have reached a settlement with today,” said Associate U.S. Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The department hopes that these settlements, combined with its prosecution of the shooter will bring some modicum of justice to the victims of this heinous act of hate.”
Fourteen victims — survivors and families of those killed — filed suit a year after the massacre at the Calhoun Street church, alleging delays by the FBI and its National Instant Criminal Background Checks System (NICS) contributed to a series of events that led to the shooting.
Shortly after the shooting, FBI Director James Comey admitted the system failed to find that Roof was prohibited from purchasing firearms when he visited a West Columbia gun store April 11, 2015. He bought the Glock pistol he would use less than two months later in Charleston — an attempt to start a “race war,” he said in personal writings.
The victims killed at Emanuel in 2015 were the Rev. Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, Cynthia Hurd, Susie Jackson, Ethel Lee Lance, the Rev. Depayne Middleton-Doctor, Tywanza Sanders, the Rev. Daniel L. Simmons Sr., Myra Thompson and S.C. Sen. Clementa C. Pinckney, who also served as pastor at Emanuel AME Church.
Roof researched and decided to visit a Wednesday night Bible study at the predominantly Black church because of the church’s historical significance in the fight for civil rights. After praying with the group, he stood up and started firing before fleeing. He was arrested the next day in North Carolina.
According to the Justice Department, settlements for those killed in the shooting ranged from $6 million to $7.5 million per claimant. For each of the five survivors, the settlements are for $5 million. A federal court must still approve the settlements for those who sued, but officials said they expected the court would agree.
S.C. Rep. J.A. Moore, a Hanahan Democrat who is the half brother of victim Myra Thompson, said the fight on behalf of those killed was not over. Numerous efforts at the state and national levels have failed to fix the legal lapse that allowed Roof to buy the gun, often referred to as the “Charleston loophole.”
“Financial restitution is not justice,” he wrote on social media. “Real justice will occur when the hate that drove Dylann Roof to commit that terrible act – which took away my sister – is driven from our society.”
Charleston attorney Andy Savage has represented many of the families of Emanuel victims since shortly after the murders. In a statement Thursday, he wrote on behalf of his clients:
“The funds made available to these families will help accommodate their material needs, but the depth of their loss of cherished loved ones, and the continued mental anguish caused by their vivid memories of helplessly watching the racist slaughter of family and friends, cannot be assuaged by money alone.
“It is their hope that their experience will help to focus those in leadership positions on the plight of the daily trauma suffered by an untold number of victims of gun violence. To do nothing is to continue to accept racial violence and wanton massacres as an integral part of the American experience.”
The Justice Department said that since the tragedy, the FBI has “worked to strengthen and improve the background check process. The department and FBI are also actively working to combat gun violence, which is a significant aspect of the department’s comprehensive violent crime reduction strategy. After the shooting, the department prosecuted the shooter for federal hate crimes and obtained a conviction.”
Sam Spence, editor of the Charleston City Paper, wrote the original Thursday version of this story. Have a comment? Send to feedback@statehousereport.com
Bulk of S.C. housing aid not spent
Staff reports | The federal government sent South Carolina $272 million to help with rental assistance in the state, but so far less than 20 percent has been spent helping people behind on their rent, according to a report by WBTW.
Since May 2021, the SC Stay program has received more than 30,000 applications and has approved about $34 million in assistance.
“There’s another $32 million in applications we have completed but after our review we have realized they haven’t provided the documents needed in order to make a determination on that application,” Vinod Ramachandran with Guidehouse told state Public Service Commission officials.
Officials added part of the challenge of distributing the funding is because most applicants were missing proper documentation and some landlords not wanting to participate in the program.
In other recent news:
State’s future gravitates toward bigger cities, study finds. While the Palmetto State may sometimes seem quaint in the eyes of the nation, South Carolina ranks among the fastest-growing states in the union, increasingly gravitating toward urban centers. In an interesting series offered today, The State newspaper looks at issues facing big cities across the state — from Charleston, Columbia and Lexington to Greenville, Rock Hill and Myrtle Beach. More: The State
S.C. increasing payments to child care providers. South Carolina’s social services agency says it is now paying more money to providers in the program that subsidizes child care for low-income families. More: AP News.
Virus positivity rate below 5 percent. South Carolina health officials reported 729 total cases of COVID-19 Oct. 28, with 433 confirmed. A total of 66 new deaths, 50 confirmed, were also reported Thursday. With 15,067 tests reported, 4.5 percent were confirmed positive. Officials said COVID-19 vaccine booster shots also were widely available across the state.
Two of S.C.’s U.S. House districts could change significantly due to population changes. South Carolina’s 6th Congressional District “reaches fingers into Charleston and Columbia,” one senator said, adding that the two big cities need to have their own unique representation. If the district changes, it also likely would change the first district, which stretches from Charleston to Beaufort. More: The State.
S.C. GOP hosts ‘First in the South’ conference. The South Carolina Republican Party today will start a three-day event at the Marriott Myrtle Beach Resort and Spa at Grand Dunes titled “First in the South Republican Action Conference.” More: The Post and Courier. GOP Rep. Tom Rice, whose district will host the conference, was not invited to the meeting, according to reports.
DJJ acting director talks staffing shortage. Eden Hendrick, who took the reins of the Department of Juvenile Justice in September, described the staffing situation at the DJJ to state lawmakers Wednesday during a meeting of the House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Subcommittee in Columbia. More: WISTV.
McMaster suggests $500M in virus money for water, sewer work. S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster wants to put $500 million of federal COVID-19 relief money toward fixing and improving water systems across the state, with priority given to rural and smaller systems. More: AP News.
Wilson joins suit to stop federal funding of abortions. S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson will join with Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and 10 other states to sue the Biden administration to stop federal funding of abortions. More: WCSC TV
Millions of acres of Southern marshes threatened. Salt marshes, which cover 1 million acres from the Outer Banks to north Florida, face danger from changing climate and rising seas, according to a special report. More. The State. Also learn how the coastal development boom endangers salt marshes.
First Lady visits Charleston hospital, base. In the closing days of breast cancer awareness month, First Lady Jill Biden toured the Hollings Cancer Center in Charleston on Monday. Later, she stopped at Joint Base Charleston to congratulate crews there for executing one of the largest humanitarian airlifts in history at the end of the Afghanistan war. More: AP News. Biden also said “South Carolina has a piece of my heart” in her Charleston visit.
- Want more headlines every business day that are like this? Visit our friends at SC Clips.
A full comeback
Cartoonist Robert Ariail always has an interesting take on what’s going on in South Carolina. His weekly “Lowcountry” strip is originally drawn for our sister publication, the Charleston City Paper. Love the cartoon? Hate it? What do you think: feedback@statehousereport.com.
Battle for state’s top education job getting started now
By Andy Brack, editor and publisher | State Superintendent Molly Spearman’s announcement this week that she wouldn’t seek reelection was an early surprise, but not particularly unexpected.
She’s made progress in upgrading the state’s perennially limp education system the last few years by helping to provide much-needed boosts to teacher pay, update the school bus fleet and consolidate some small districts, which should lead to better education in those areas.
But in the recent months of the pandemic, she struggled with her own Republican Party in efforts to keep students and teachers safe. Whether it was about mask mandates or virtual schools, the General Assembly and Gov. Henry McMaster always seemed to be poking their fingers in school business that should have been left to the state’s constitutional officer elected to deal with schools.
A few politicos reportedly already are scrambling to figure out whether they’ll run for Spearman’s job, which likely will take on a new importance in 2023 for one reason: It will soon pay more. Spearman currently earns $92,007, but thanks to a recent change in the law, the job’s salary soon will be set by the Agency Head Salary Commission. That means the new superintendent will certainly earn six figures, not five — probably in the $250,000 range. That, in and of itself, will draw lots of candidates.
Sherry East, president of the South Carolina Education Association, said the next superintendent should be a strong leader who always asks, “Is it good for the children?”
“It’s crucial that this person has education experience and can hit the ground running,” she told Statehouse Report. “We had deficiencies in literacy and math prior to COVID and we need someone that will communicate with educators on the best strategies to ensure South Carolina students are receiving the best education possible.”
We hear through the grapevine that several education and Statehouse leaders are considering a run for state superintendent, including some district superintendents.
Two names that consistently crop up are state Rep. Neal Collins, a Pickens County Republican who has served in the General Assembly since 2015, and Ellen Weaver, president and CEO of the Palmetto Promise Institute in Columbia. It’s the think tank founded by former U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint to push conservative ideas.
Collins, a lawyer, confirmed he is exploring a bid for Spearman’s job: “Serving on the [House] Education Committee, Children’s Committee, Education Oversight and House Oversight over the past seven years, I witnessed Superintendent Spearman serve our state with grace in extremely difficult times,” he told Statehouse Report. “The future of our state is education and our state deserves a student-focused leader.”
Weaver also confirmed her interest in the job, saying she had been approached by a number of people about it and was strongly considering it..
“Our next superintendent must be focused on ensuring that every child receives an excellent education, empowering parents to make decisions for their children and providing the very best support to teachers,” she said in an email. “COVID has laid bare education faultlines that have been growing in South Carolina for decades. It is going to take bold vision, brave leadership, and a real team effort to transform these stubborn obstacles into the opportunities our students deserve.”
State Democratic Party Chairman Trav Robertson insisted it was crucial for his party’s candidate for the job to be an educator. He complained that Republicans had been hurting education for years by pushing charter schools, vouchers and other ways to lower public investment and support in public education.
“Democrats believe in education. If you do not have an educated citizenry, you’re never going to bring in good jobs,” Robertson said.
- Have a comment? Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com.
Charter Communications
The public spiritedness of our underwriters allows us to bring Statehouse Report to you at no cost. Today, we’re happy to shine the spotlight on Charter Communications, the nation’s fastest-growing TV, internet and voice company. Committed to integrating the highest quality service with superior entertainment and communications products, Charter is at the intersection of technology and entertainment, facilitating essential communications that connect 24 million residential and business customers in 41 states, including South Carolina. In addition to being committed to giving back to the communities we serve, the bedrock of our business strategy is to serve our customers and exceed their expectations.
“We, at our core, are a service organization,” President and CEO Tom Rutledge says. “And every product we sell has a huge service component.”
- To learn more, visit Charter’s South Carolina services online.
Send us your thoughts
We receive a few comments a week and look forward to publishing. But often we can’t because we can’t verify the identity of the writer. To be published, you’ve got to provide us with contact information so we can verify your letters. Verified letters to the editor are published weekly. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity. Comments are limited to 250 words or less. Please include your name and contact information.
- Send your letters or comments to: feedback@statehousereport.com
Is it haunted?
The story goes that this place may be haunted. Where is it and why is it haunted? Send your guess to feedback@statehousereport.com — and remember to include your name, home city and contact information.
Last week’s mystery, “What and where are these ruins?” shows the ruins of Richard T. Wilson Jr.’s hunting lodge at Montage Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton. Thanks to Barry Wingard of Florence for sending along the photo.
Congratulations to these readers for identifying the photo: Heather Rath of Hilton Head Island; Kevin Mertens of Greenville; Elizabeth Jones and Jay Altman, both of Columbia; George Graf of Palmyra, Va.; Allan Peel of San Antonio, Texas; Bill Segars of Hartsville; Frank Bouknight of Summerville; and Jacie Godfrey of Florence.
Jones wrote that the three columns are known as the “Mississippi Sisters.” She added these great details: “It was RT’s home away from home in New York City. It burned in 1926 after RT’s last famous house party. Beauregard, Jefferson, Clay and the boys were calling on Virginia Lou, Hattie Ann, Melanie Mae and the Mississippi cousins who would come stay for a few weeks each year. When the white lightning was flowing, the sparks were glowing and lighting up the Bluffton night sky. Unfortunately, sparks from the fire where the pig pickin’ was being prepared were also flying in the balmy Southern night breeze. They landed on the lodge’s roof and the whole place went poof! All that was left are the famous ruins.”
- Send us a mystery. If you have a photo that you believe will stump readers, send it along (but make sure to tell us what it is because it may stump us too!) Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com and mark it as a photo submission. Thanks.
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We Can Do Better, South Carolina!