Buying South Carolina

Who is Howard Rich?

Howard Rich, 70, is a libertarian political activist and real estate developer from New York City. A director of the pro-voucher Friedman Foundation, Rich has used his vast personal wealth in an effort to build a state legislature in South Carolina that will support his plan to divert public money to private schools through school vouchers and tax credits.

Howard Rich's involvement in South Carolina politics involves three main aspects:

1. Bypassing state contribution limits by using numerous LLC's to fund political candidates in local races, and keeping voters in the dark by making contributions after the candidate's final public disclosure.

2. Funneling even more money into SC campaigns from Utah, California, and elsewhere through a network of wealthy associates.

3. Establishing and funding "grass-roots" voucher lobbying groups in South Carolina to give the appearance of support for his agenda in our state.

Howard Rich's substantial involvement in South Carolina politics and the methods used to support his private school voucher plan have profound implications for South Carolina's government, our public schools, and the integrity of our state’s political processes.

Bypassing SC's Campaign Contribution Limits

Individual contributions to political candidates in South Carolina are limited to $3500 for statewide offices and $1000 for State House candidates per election cycle.

To leverage his influence on South Carolina elections and evade South Carolina's campaign contribution limits, Howard Rich contributes through about 30 entities he owns or controls from his addresses at 73 Spring Street, New York City, and 1420 Walnut Street, Suite 1011, Philadelphia.

These entities include: Dayrich LLC, Bayrich LLC, Stilrich LLC, Streetrich LLC, Newrich LLC, Springrich Limited Partnership, Rich & Rich Associates, Rich Acquisitions, 123 LaSalle Inc., 123 LaSalle Associates, 4220 Broadway LLC, 4220 Broadway Inc., 188 Claremont LLC, Spooner LLC, Trucker 49 LLC, 405 49 Associates, Secure Data LLC, Ashborough Investors LLC, Rosemeade Investors LLC, 332 E 11 LLC, 470 W 166 LLC, Spinksville LLC, 538-14 Realty LLC, and several others listed below.

Howard Rich has used these entities to contribute as much as 24 times the individual contribution limit ($24,000) to a single legislative candidate in a single day.

"Rich does not want the voters to know about his last-second contributions until after they have voted."

John Crangle
Executive Director
Common Cause of SC

"Basically, you've got a group of people trying to buy South Carolina's government. They've got an agenda. Primarily the agenda is vouchers."

Rep. Carl Gullick (R-York)

"Make no mistake: Howard Rich and his kind view this small, poor state as an experimental laboratory for their ideological crusade against America's greatest asset - public education."

Editorial,
Rock Hill Herald

"It is exceedingly uncommon for a state candidate to be receiving that sort of money from out of state."

Craig Holman
Public Citizen's Congress Watch

"No question, he's backed his truck up to South Carolina. But more important than my race - can you just buy an issue or election?"

Former Rep. Bill Cotty (R-Richland)

"Private school vouchers are not the solution to improving our public schools. And it is unfortunate that some of our state leaders have chosen to align themselves with out-of-state campaign cash..."

Sen. John C. Land (D-Clarendon)

"They know I don't support their agenda to destroy public education. I do not support voucher programs. I've asked them to explain how it will help public education, and I've never gotten an answer."

Rep. Tom Young (R-Aiken)

"It's a very bad and incredibly naive idea that would irreparably harm public education ... Mr. Rich is an avowed supporter of 'privatizing' public schools, and he has made no secret of his desire to make South Carolina the proving ground for his ideas."

Jon Butzon
Charleston Education Network

Rev. Joe Darby
Morris Brown African Episcopal Church

"Support among the taxpayers for public funding of private schools, never that strong, has diminished over the last five years ... because people have come to understand the out-of-state manipulators who push it and the inability of such plans to help the students who need help most."

Editorial
Spartanburg Herald-Journal

"These groups represent some of the most radical political groups in the country whose purpose is clearly anti-public education."

Rep. Joe Neal (D-Richland)

"I call them political terrorists. They're outside the state, trying to do a hostile takeover of state government. I like for South Carolinians to run South Carolina."

Rep. Gene Pinson (R-Greenwood)

"These are perilous times when we have these out-of-state influences trying to destroy public education in South Carolina ... (They) see South Carolina as a test tube where they can try some of these risky policies."

Steve Benjamin
Choose Children First

"They're trying to get a bloc of legislators that they control, period. Then it won't matter what the issue is, it won't matter whether it's good for the district or the state. It will truly be 'money talks' at that point."

Rep. Keith Kelly (R-Spartanburg)

"This is part of a national school voucher campaign. I see it as an attack on public education in our state."

Rep. Joel Lourie (D- Richland)

"It is absolutely the worst possible thing for South Carolina politics... It is an attempt by a very rich individual to buy a state government."

Rep. Bill Sandifer (R- Oconee)(2008)

"[South Carolinians for Responsible Government is] a shell group set up to ruin our educational system in South Carolina... This group is financed by Howard Rich, a New York millionaire, and is not a South Carolina group at all... My vote is not for sale."

Rep. B.R. Skelton (R-Pickens)

"SCRG is a pro-voucher organization that wants to stack the Legislature with others of a like mind. It targets those who have a record of being in favor of public money going to public schools only. And rather than merely supporting candidates it likes, SCRG uses scurrilous negative advertising in an effort to scuttle the campaigns of those it is against."

Editorial,
Aiken Standard

"They tried to influence our judicial races last year but they didn't succeed. But they certainly affected the General Assembly races this year, and now they've gotten several steps closer to their plan for school vouchers."

Rep. Harold Mitchell (D- Spartanburg)