No ethics laws broken, though.
By Raif Karerat
WASHINGTON, DC: South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who went on an 11-day trip to India in order to promote trade and tourism, attract foreign direct investment, has been accused of favoring campaign donors she took along on that trip.
The State reports that a majority of the private-sector business officials who traveled with Haley to India were also campaign donors. The governor received $24,475 in re-election contributions from five business leaders or their employers, according to state ethics data.
“Those on the trip with ties to contributions to Haley included: Martin Brown, founder of Colite International in Columbia; Tushar Chikhliker, a partner in the Nexsen Pruet law firm in Columbia; Deepal Eliatamby, president of Alliance Consulting Engineers in Columbia; and Greg Thompson, chief executive of Thompson Construction Group in Sumter.
“Another contributor-traveler was Bhavna Vasudeva, co-chairwoman of CarolIndia, an effort at the University of South Carolina to “raise awareness of the growing importance of India.” Vasudeva has produced study-abroad, speaking and education programs at the university, according to a resume supplied by the governor’s office. She also has prepared meetings and activities for Indian ambassadors to the United States during their visits to South Carolina in 2011 and 2012.”
The South Carolina Department of Commerce included private business leaders “who work frequently on economic development projects” to facilitate dialogue and answer questions Indians companies might have, said a spokeswoman for the state department.
“These individuals could provide detailed information and answer the kinds of questions many Indian companies had been raising about doing business in our state (i.e. what is permitting like, what are electric rates like),” Skipper elaborated in an email to The State.
A government watchdog has declared Haley did not break any ethics laws by bringing campaign contributors on the trip, but added that “their inclusion did create the perception that campaign donors were being rewarded.”