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Among Sanford’s more than 200 gifts in 2009 were dozens of books, a camera from Samsung, three backpacks, a gun case valued at $209, cds and dvds, coffee mugs, paintings, diaries, meals, pens, baked goods, “challenge” coins, a webcam, Carolina Panthers ticket, hats, seasoning packets, toothpaste (from the S.C. Dental Hygiene Association) and calendars. In addition to the flight from Taylor, Sanford also reported three other flights from individuals valued at $3,380, $1,300 and $720. Sanford said he took “lots of flights” but does not remember all of them.
J.T. Gandolfo, who operates Dodgeland of Columbia and was appointed by Sanford in his first term to lead a task force that overhauled the Department of Motor Vehicles, said he could not recall any details of the $720 flight Sanford listed for him as donor.
“I am not flying now,” he said. “I really don’t know. That particular flight I don’t remember.”
Sanford said of the material gifts: “You end up with a lot of stuff and it ends up in a gift room and we ended up giving stuff to charity,” he said.
Sanford’s successor, Gov. Nikki Haley, filed her report in April, as most officials do, only four months after taking office. She reported only two gifts, hotel and food valued at $850 from the Republican Governor’s Association and roundtrip airfare valued at $3,276 from Raj Mantena, whom she identified as a friend.
Rob Godfrey, a spokesman for Haley, said the flight was to San Diego for an RGA event.
“In terms of gifts, we follow state ethics law in reporting them and go a step further than is required by law in keeping a real time flight log so that anyone can track the governor’s travel,” he said.
Secretary of State Mark Hammond listed two dozen gifts valued at $1,259, including meals and receptions, $600 in Tartan Club badges at the Heritage, a $120 gift basket from Nan Ya Plastics he shared with staff and a wool wrap from Faribault Mills. Hammond said none of the items posed any conflict of interest.
Former Treasurer Converse Chellis listed more than $2,200 in dozens of gifts in his last disclosure report, most of them meals or receptions provided by industry trade groups, associations or others with an interest in Statehouse issues. He also received $300 in Heritage tickets and $300 in Carolina Cup race tickets. He valued nearly all his meals or receptions at $25.