A local business leader says her $5,000 donation to Republicans is legal.

So do state Republican Party officials.

At issue is that part or all of the money went to a candidate who aims to unseat a County Council member.

The legal limit on individual donations to candidates is $1,000 but Republican officials say giving to the party is legally unlimited.

At the Chronicle’s request, Nephron Pharmaceuticals CEO Lou Kennedy detailed why she gave $5,000 to the state party and her support of Glen Conwell, a candidate running against incumbent Councilman Ned Tolar.

“Here is the truth,” she wrote in an email.

“Ned Tolar used a last minute distraction technique to get elected last time.

“He ‘inferred’ Bill Banning [a former Councilman] was the reason for the Lexington Penny design. This was NOT true. It was a multitude of suggestions, from many people to create the design.”

Mrs. Kennedy was referringto a penny tax proposal voters rejected 4 years ago.

“He used his ‘for the taxpayer’ moniker to blame his opponent (Bill Banning) for creating the “Penny” at the 11th hour and won.

“Here we go again!

“He says he is helping the County by investigating Nephron/Lou for some kind of wrong doing. Yes, we received incentives to come to SC, and we have outpaced every expected promise for the good of West Columbia and Lexington County.

“We have hired 850 people, spent more than $350 million, gave the employees an unexpected raise of 5%, and philanthropically support the area in abundance.

“If he is so concerned about incentives for new employers, then why does he vote to give them?

“If he is so scrupulous, then why did he send emails to donors soliciting dollars for a mysterious PAC, to get Joe Mergo fired.”

Mrs. Kennedy was referring to County Administrator Joe Mergo.

“Funny thing is, two of the Councilmen he claimed supported him in his email, apologized to me for his behavior, after they found out he used their names without permission,” she wrote.

“Sadly, he misspelled their names in the email.

“When they questioned him, he denied sending the email, until they showed him they had seen it.

“In addition he has not followed many of the the rules of a councilman, so ask him if he in fact initiated an investigation of a County employee without following rules?,” she asked.

“I would ask why he wants to rip apart the County anyway, when it fares so well? Check the surrounding counties, and see if they rate like Lexington County?

“I have supported Debbie Summers, Todd Cullum, Darrell Hudson, Erin Bergeson and will never support Ned Tolar. He is apparently upset that I supported Glen Conwell a few weeks ago (following ALL rules of donating in SC, the Republican Party and the County), because Conwell is impeccably honest, hardworking, and is the type of intelligent candidate who does not surreptitiously, and slyly, try to fill the coffers of PACs, for his alleged own gain.

“I wonder, since Ned Tolar benefits from our beloved Lexington Medical Center in his role at Hulon Green, how much money does he raise for the LMC cause?

“I am thinking of investigating that relationship, as donations for the cure of breast cancer would be very well received. Please feel free to share the link to the LMC “Campaign for Clarity”, I hope to help with eradicating breast cancer.

“Call Drew McKissick at the SC Republican Party, he can confirm I followed every rule to the letter.

“Finally, how did this article [in The State newspaper] make the county a better place? This is another great reason NOT to elect Ned Tolar. He should try and win by shouting all the wonderful things he has done to improve the county since he was elected, not penalize an honest candidate who was supported by a woman who loves her county.”