Do SC Commerce officials really let the fox guard the henhouse on secret deals?

We’ve known Bobby Hitt since he was an editor on the Columbia Record.

That’s what makes it difficult to believe this former open government advocate – now Commerce Secretary – condones the secrecy of his department.

We can understand why some economic development deals are negotiated in privacy at the request of the developers.

But once Commerce officials have a deal and the lawyers stand up from the negotiating table, the taxpayers have a right to know what kind of deal was struck on their behalf and often with billions of their tax dollars.

The taxpayers have a pair of champions of their right to know in Democrat Dick Harpootlian who represents Irmo in the Senate and and Republican Sen. Wes Climer of Rock Hill.

“The Department of Commerce refuses to tell us how they spent billions of South Carolina taxpayer dollars in giveaways to out-of-state corporations to entice them to locate here,” Sen. Harpootlian said.

The senator was an early critic of the deal to bring the Carolina Panthers pro football team’s headquarters to Rock Hill.

Commerce officials promised Panthers’ billionaire owner David Tepper financial incentives that required a change to state law and other senators balked.

Commerce eventually got what it wanted but triggered a war Harpootlian and Climer has been waging since.

“A Legislative Audit Council report Sen. Climer and I requested shows they rarely claw back money from businesses who don’t meet their promised job creation,” Harpootlian said.

“There were literally no audits to verify those job creation numbers. The Commerce Department said they relied on the honor system and let businesses who received tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer dollars and tax credits determine if they had met the requirements of their agreement” Harpootlian said.

“Literally the fox guarding the henhouse.”

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