Is new caucus out for reform or re-election?

A new caucus intended to promote government reform might just be another election year ploy, Gov. Mark Sanford said Friday

The bi-partisan coalition established last week with members from the House and Senate, including Sen. Catherine Ceips, R-Beaufort and Rep. Richard Chalk, R-Hilton Head Island, is operating under the Reform Caucus banner.

But the caucus, whose leadership says it doesn't keep a roll of members and is "an informal group," already is drawing criticism from around the Internet and the capital for popping up on an even year when all of the state's House and Senate seats are up for grabs.

"Yeah, people really do care about reform, that shouldn't just be an even-numbered year area of interest," Gov. Mark Sanford said Friday. "That should be something people are fired up about year in and year out."

The governor said the new caucus was brought up during a staff meeting last week, but he didn't know all the details.

"What was mentioned was that apparently this was lobbyist driven, rather than candidate driven and defensive in nature," Sanford said. "But if it's a sincere effort, if it's real, our view as always is the more the merrier."

Rep. Bill Sandifer, R-Oconee, who co-chairs the new caucus with Sen. Ray Cleary, R-Georgetown, and Rep. Harold Mitchell, D-Spartanburg, said the caucus is an honest attempt to work toward reforming state government.

"We believe reforms are needed," he said. "We also feel the best way to accomplish reform is for the people who pass legislation to have a hand in deciding what reforms are proposed."

Sandifer said neither he, Cleary nor Mitchell face impending opposition in their re-election bids. Filing for House and Senate seats across the state opened Sunday and runs through March 30.

The caucus is rumored throughout South Carolina's political Web sites to be the machination of consultant Rod Shealy, a controversial figure throughout the Palmetto State's political circles.

"I talk with Rod fairly frequently, but it's not something driven by Rod Shealy," said Sandifer, adding that Shealy has run campaigns for him in the past. "There are a number of political consultants that operate in the greater Columbia area, we're all talking to those folks on a periodic basis, they have a good handle on political matters."

Calls to Shealy weren't returned last week or Monday, but when asked last week by The Greenville News if he had a hand in creating the Reform Caucus, Shealy said he has "had discussions with lots of people over the last year."

A memo sent by a "Rod S." that is circulating throughout Columbia and has been obtained by The Beaufort Gazette and The Greenville Times discusses the creation of the caucus and states that "to combat both Sanford and the 'change environment', the legislature needs to create a 'reform' image for itself ... separate and apart from Sanford's efforts."

Shealy told the Greenville newspaper he's not the "Rod S." whose name appears on the memo.

In 1992, Shealy was convicted of violating state campaign laws by not reporting a $5,000 campaign contribution. The misdemeanor charges came after Shealy used the money to hire a black man to run in a Lowcountry race, hoping it would prompt white Republicans to head to the polls and defeat the black challenger. It was a move meant to help his sister's campaign for lieutenant governor, according to The State. Shealy was fined $500.

Though Sandifer, Cleary and Mitchell aren't expecting to face opposition come June and November, Ceips and Chalk are.

County Councilman and former school board member Stu Rodman along with former County Councilwoman Starletta Hairston already have announced they'll run for Chalk's Hilton Head seat in the House.

In Senate District 46, which represents most of Beaufort County, Ceips could face a challenge from Sanford chief of staff Tom Davis, who on Friday said he'd decide this weekend whether he'd run for Senate.

Chalk said Thursday he believes in the reform effort. Though not sent, Chalk's office has drafted a letter to go out to constituents touting his effort in leading the creation of the Reform Caucus.

"When some people approached me about it, I thought it certainly might help us to get some people together to push for the things we're trying to do," Chalk said Thursday of the caucus.

Ceips, whose 2007 Senate bid was managed by Shealy, said the new caucus started after she had informal discussions with Cleary.

"Reform is reform, quite frankly it doesn't matter who gets credit for it and who doesn't," Ceips said Friday. "I talk to Rod once every two weeks or so, and I mentioned I was going to do it with them. But I also mentioned it to a lot of people. Everybody is up there talking."

State Rep. Shannon Erickson, R-Beaufort, who was elected to Ceips' House District 124 seat after Ceips moved to the Senate, nor Rep. Bill Herbkersman, R-Bluffton, said they were members of the reform caucus.

"I have not heard anything about it," said Herbkersman, who was bashed by Ceips for endorsing Beaufort County Council Chairman Weston Newton during last year's Senate race. "Obviously I'm not in that circle."

Erickson said she was invited to the caucus meeting and would be open to talking to its leadership.