Robinson faces $43,600 in fines, re-files campaign reports

By: Charles Tomlinson | SCNow
Published: September 23, 2009

Florence city councilman Ed Robinson faces $48,800 in fines over incomplete statements of economic interest, a matter he said he’s clearing up with the S.C. State Ethics Commission.

Robinson said the fines started after he submitted reports without realizing he hadn’t signed them.

“I thought everything was fine because it was filed,” Robinson said in a phone interview Wednesday.

The commission attempted to reach him by mail, he said, but he didn’t receive the letters because he had moved to a new Florence residence.

“It’s just a matter of whose fault is it? Should I have contacted them when I moved? I probably should have, but you know, sometimes you don’t think about things,” he said with a laugh.

Robinson said he learned of the fines from a news report on Monday and that he called the commission Tuesday to settle the matter.

In the end, he had to re-file the statements of economic interest, and he’s unsure of any fines he ultimately might have to pay, he said.

A representative of Robinson’s contacted the commission in January and said the forms would be filed, which didn’t happen until Tuesday, according to the commission.

Robinson was fined $24,400 on two occasions, Dec. 18 and 23, for filing incomplete 2007 and 2008 statements of economic interest, according to the Ethics Commission.

The commission’s debtors list states that Robinson owes a lower amount — $43,600 — but that list’s most recent update was Aug. 26.

The debtors list, available online at http://ethics.sc.gov/aboutus/reportsandpolicies/Debtors+List.htm, acknowledges that some candidates and lobbyists who are listed might be in the process of being removed from the list after resolving their debts.

Robinson is not in the process of being taken off the list since the last update, according to the commission.

In addition to mailing letters, the commission makes telephone calls and other personal contact with the people on the debtors list. It also sends the list to the S.C. Department of Revenue for collection.

Politicians can still run for office if they are on the debtors list and can pay their penalties with campaign funds, according to the commission.

Earlier this week, news reports centered on more than $300,000 in Ethics Commission fines levied against Horry County Council Chairwoman Liz Gilland. Horry County councilman Marion Foxworth also owes $3,700, according to the commission.

The following Pee Dee politicians also have accrued more than $1,000 in fines to the commission, according to the debtors list:

Chesterfield County