South Carolina Lt. Governor Resigns
The lieutenant governor of South Carolina, Ken Ard, resigned on Friday and pleaded guilty to criminal charges of spending campaign funds on personal expenses and fabricating donations.
In a cascade of orchestrated events, Mr. Ard resigned in the morning, was indicted at 1 p.m. and then pleaded guilty at 3.
Apparently as part of a plea deal, Mr. Ard appeared before Judge G. Thomas Cooper of Circuit Court in Columbia, S.C., and pleaded guilty to all seven misdemeanor charges lodged against him. Judge Cooper then sentenced him to five years of probation, a $5,000 fine and 300 hours of community service. He could have faced up to $35,000 in fines and seven years in prison.
The indictment, announced by the state attorney general, Alan Wilson, charged Mr. Ard with what Mr. Wilson said was an effort to create “the false appearance of a groundswell of political support” by reporting $162,500 in “fictitious or bogus campaign contributions.” He also spent campaign donations on personal items, including iPads, clothes, football tickets and family vacations, the indictment said.
In a statement, Mr. Ard, 48, a Republican, admitted wrongdoing and apologized. “During my campaign, it was my responsibility to make sure things were done correctly. I did not do that,” he wrote. “I am deeply sorry and take full responsibility for the entire situation.”