Clemson trustee gave thousands before election

COLUMBIA -- A newly elected Clemson University trustee gave at least $5,100 in campaign donations to lawmakers, including state Sen. Catherine Ceips, in the weeks running up to his close victory in the General Assembly last week.

The contributions of between $200 and $1,000 came from Defender Services, the Columbia company owned by John N. "Nicky" McCarter Jr. Nine lawmakers and Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, who presides over the state Senate, received the payments, according to state campaign finance reports.

McCarter, a 1980 Clemson graduate, won his seat on the Clemson board in a contested 87-73 vote over Budweiser executive and former Clemson quarterback Rodney Williams, who did not give lawmakers money.

Anheuser-Busch did contribute $1,000 to Ceips' campaign on May 21. She received $500 from Defender Services on April 14.

Trustee is an unpaid post.

Those who received the donations who spoke to The State said it had no impact on their votes, and noted McCarter's lifelong service to the university. Others said they did not realize the connection between Defender Services, McCarter's business, and McCarter.

But some lawmakers, questioning the appearance of the impropriety of the contributions, returned the donations to Defender.

Rep. Scott Talley, R-Spartanburg, said he received an envelope from Defender Services that included a $250 check and McCarter's business card. Talley, who voted for Williams, returned the check.

"I appreciate that, but the timing gave me pause for concern," Talley said. "I'm not insinuating anything. I just don't like the way it looked."

Only donations from judicial and Public Service Commission candidates are restricted. One lawmaker said he would sponsor a bill next year to prevent any candidate running for a seat chosen by the General Assembly from giving campaign contributions.

"I've never heard of it," said Rep. Dan Cooper, R-Anderson and a Williams supporter, of college board candidates donating money. "I think we ought to have everybody under the same rules."

According to state campaign finance records, most of the checks arrived in early- to mid-April, just days after a screening committee approved McCarter's candidacy. Monday was the most recent campaign filing deadline, and not all the pre-election reports had been submitted Thursday.

Six checks went to Democrats, while four checks went to Republicans. Sen. Luke Rankin was the only one to receive a check who voted for Williams. Three others, Sen. Randy Scott, Sen. Ralph Anderson and Bauer did not vote.

That means six lawmakers who received donations for McCarter voted for him.

Efforts to reach McCarter at his office and home were unsuccessful.

According to his testimony to the screening committee April 1, McCarter had a lifelong love for the school founded for agricultural research.

"My family background, both sides of my parents are farmers," McCarter told the committee, "so I've been involved with Clemson all my life. They have been awfully good to my family because everything we did had something direct with Clemson University."

Those who supported McCarter said the donations did not influence their decisions.

Sen. Yancy McGill, D-Williamsburg, said McCarter had long supported his campaigns. McCarter's service to the university -- he is a member of the Board of Visitors -- has been exemplary.

"I don't see it as an issue," McGill said. "He's been a personal friend of mine for years and years and years.

"It made no big difference in this race. It wasn't close in the Senate."

McGill said he gets contributions from many people across the state. Those donations do not mean he will vote in their favor on a particular issue.

"That doesn't hold a whole lot of substance in it," McGill said.

McCarter, he said, owns a company that employs more than 5,500 workers providing security, groundskeeping, janitorial and other services. Defender Services has three state contracts for security and groundskeeping, but the State Budget and Control Board did not know how much those contracts were worth.

Rep. Carl Gullick, R-York, tore up the check he received. Gullick said he was vocal in his support for Williams.

"I didn't see it as a payoff because I think he knew where I stood," Gullick said. "Any time there's a question, you're just better off not doing anything."