Taxpayers paid for caviar, fine foods for Hodges in '02

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The mansion account, which was nearly depleted when Gov. Mark Sanford took office in January, also paid for dry cleaning, Southern Living recipes, 20 signed copies of Walter Edgar's "South Carolina: A History," and $130 to reimburse two guests whose cars were accidentally towed, according to records obtained by The Greenville News under the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act.

The spending occurred at a time of budget shortfalls that prompted agencies to lay off hundreds of state workers and cut or reduce services. The 147-year-old mansion serves not only as a home to governors and their families but also a place to host dignitaries and industrial prospects.

The records do not indicate whether the food and other purchases were used by the Hodges family or as part of mansion entertaining or the courting of industrial prospects. Hodges could not be reached for comment.

A lack of state records on previous mansion spending also makes it difficult to determine whether the pattern of spending was any different in the Hodges' administration than under previous governors. Chris Drummond, Sanford's spokesman, said invoices before 1999, Hodges' first year in office, no longer exist.

Billy Boan, a former legislator who served as Hodges' chief of staff, said last year's mansion operating expenditures were not significantly different from prior years or under Hodges' predecessors — David Beasley, Carroll Campbell and Richard Riley.

Boan said while the mansion's food list might not reflect it, Hodges' staff did cut expenses throughout the Governor's Office last year. He said the Hodges family did not use any of the gourmet food for their own dining or for staff events.

"I don't believe the Hodges family did anything out of the ordinary," he said. "I think what is out of the ordinary is what's going on now."

Beasley told the newspaper he doesn't believe he and his family ever ate exotic food while living and entertaining in the mansion. "Our standard meal was a meat and three, what you'd get in a family diner kind of place," he said.

A different type of meal was served at official functions and for industrial prospects, said Beasley, and "we usually tried to promote Southern specialties." Referring to the food bought during the Hodges' administration, Beasley said, "I can't say that we never had something like that but that would not be in the norm of our culinary experience."

'Disregard for costs'

Last month, Sanford said Hodges had shown a "disregard for costs" in mansion spending and threatened to close it down for four months until private donations changed his mind. Among the donations was a four-month supply of grits and breakfast products from a Columbia miller.

Sanford said at the time that 90 percent of the mansion's budget was gone by the time he took office.

Among the $18,522 in food invoices paid in January 2002, the records show, was $1,400 for seafood, including live Maine lobster, 32 pounds of tuna loin, 30 pounds of shrimp, 30 pounds of cocktail crab and $197 for a quart of vanilla extract. There was another $362 in such items as Maina Colomba chocolate chips, mousse truffee, and Ginor foie gras. Almost $7,000 was spent for other items such as Panetta Italian bacon, truffle peelings, quail breast, veal, smoked salmon, caviar, oysters on the half shell, rabbit loin, pitted Greek olives, California walnut nuggets and other food.

Mansion funds also paid for photo developing, first-aid training, a $75 plaque, $52.50 for a ring to be delivered to Rachel Hodges, two pair of $20 dress pants, more than $200 in magazines and newspapers. One store bill included the purchase of Oil of Olay. More than $1,100 was spent on postage, according to the records. Boan said he did not know the reason for the ring.

"To me this is inexcusable," said Senate Majority Leader Glenn McConnell, a Charleston Republican. "It smacks of lavish living, especially since we're in a budget crisis."

However, Sen. Darrell Jackson, a Columbia Democrat, said he was not bothered by the purchases if they were used for entertaining.

"If it was in pursuit of industries to relocate in South Carolina and provide jobs, that's maybe something you can understand," he said. "I would suspect that was entertaining dignitaries and potential prospects because Jim Hodges does not strike me as a caviar-and-lobster-tail type of guy."

January's shopping also included cases of strawberries, pineapple, oranges, grapes, beets, collards, cauliflower, basil, thyme, and asparagus; and gallons of dairy products, sodas, tea and coffee.

One food invoice also included a $22 chef's hat. The mansion staff also bought nonfood items in January, including Southern Living recipes for $35, mattress covers for $26, dry cleaning for $19, a leadership planner for $150, and containers of Armorall for $23.

Shift to austerity

"I don't think you need to go to the exotic in terms of food choice," Sanford said. "If we serve rabbit loin, I'm going to be the one who shot the rabbit. If we serve quail, it will be quail that I shot. I don't know what Peruvian squid tubes are but I'm quite certain I probably wouldn't like it. I would want the food served in the Governor's Mansion to at least in some way to reflect the great variety of food choices we already have here in the state."

Hodges has denied any misspending and said the mansion's financial pinch was created by the Legislature in 2001 when it provided half the money necessary to pay salaries for the mansion's staff. At that time Hodges had added to the paid staff, replacing inmates, some of whom were caught having sex at the mansion and in the Hodges' temporary Columbia residence.

The mansion has a yearly budget of about $418,000 to cover personnel, benefits, food and other operating expenses for the governor's family and guests. About $69,000 of that amount was budgeted for operating expenses.

The $147,000 spent in calendar year 2002 was nearly the amount lawmakers approved for two fiscal years of operating expenses at the mansion. Mansion operating expenses for February, the first full month under Sanford, totaled $9,974 — $5,807 of which was spent by Sanford's staff, according to a Sanford spokesman. Hodges spent $7,262 last February.

While most of the food purchased in 2002 was through wholesalers or gourmet shops, the staff also shopped at local grocery stores and at Walmart, buying bar stools, plate hangers and other items in addition to food.

The mansion staff spent $10,833 in December, Hodges' last full month as governor, compared to $20,681 spent by the staff in January.

The State Budget and Control Board voted in December over Hodges' objection to cut the state budget by $247 million. It was the fourth midyear budget cut in two years.

The December food purchases at the mansion were much the same type as previous buys, including oysters, caviar, salmon filets, veal, frozen Norwegian smoked salmon, shrimp and sea scallops. Guests also dined on duck breast and alligator tailmeat filets, according to the expense records.

"I think some of that is expected," said Republican House Speaker David Wilkins of Greenville. "But it ought to be in some bounds of reasonableness. If he spent twice what he was appropriated to spend, he was excessive."

Boan said the only event he was aware of in November and December at the mansion was a staff reception.

"We didn't have any alligator or duck breast at the staff reception," he said.

Sanford said he wants the dining fare at the mansion to be more simple. He said the mansion used to give guests gift bags, a practice that he said has been replaced with milk and cookies.

"It ought to be a pleasure just to stay at the mansion," he said. "I think you have good conversation, a good meal and a good visit."

His wife, a former investment banker who has taken charge of mansion operations, has trimmed the staff by four positions, reduced hours, asked employees to perform more than one task and is closely watching the food bill.

She also plans to open the two other homes on the mansion grounds, the Lace House and the Boylston House, for rental use and plans to schedule more free activities on the complex to allow more people to enjoy the mansion.

"I don't think the previous administration really paid attention to what was appropriated for them," she said. "We are now living within what was appropriated."