South Carolina Coastal Council v. South Carolina State Ethics Commission

Harwell, Justice:

Petitioners South Carolina Coastal Council and John C. Hayes, III, Chairman of Coastal Council, petitioned this Court to exercise its original jurisdiction in this matter to determine whether S.C. Code Ann. § 8-13-450 (1986) of the State Ethics Law applies to the membership of Coastal Council. We granted petitioners’ motion pursuant to Rule 229, SCACR. We find that this provision does not apply to the membership of Coastal Council.

DISCUSSION

Section 8-13-450 of the State Ethics Act provides in pertinent part that “no person shall serve as a member of a government regulatory…