Gaffney Ledger v. South Carolina Ethics Commission

Appellant The Gaffney Ledger (Newspaper) was publicly reprimanded for violating the Ethics Reform Act. We reverse.

FACTS

On September 13, 2000, Boyd McLean filed a complaint with respondent State Ethics Commission (Commission) alleging Newspaper had violated S.C.Code Ann. § 8-13-1354 (Supp. 2003) by publishing a political advertisement without identifying who had paid for it. The Commission subsequently in formed McLean that his complaint failed to allege sufficient facts to constitute a violation of the ethics law. 1

After dismissal of the complaint, Newspaper published an article written by…