Posted on Sat, Apr. 01, 2006

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Campbell camp also has driving issues

By AARON GOULD SHEININ

asheinin@thestate.com

Campbell

Speeding appears to be contagious among the candidates for lieutenant governor.

Republican Mike Campbell was a passenger in a car stopped doing 55 mph in a 35 mph zone in Aiken County in February, about two weeks before Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer was pulled over for doing 101 mph in Chester County.

Like Bauer, Campbell’s driver was not ticketed. Unlike Bauer, Campbell was not the driver.

Adam Piper, Campbell’s political director, was stopped by the New Ellenton police Feb. 13. Campbell was in the car.

Piper said Campbell did not speak to the officer who stopped them.

New Ellenton police Chief Hugh Ray said Friday his officers have discretion about when to issue speeding tickets. The officer who stopped Piper, Jorge Ruelas, had just moved to the area from California, Ray said, and “wouldn’t have known Mr. Campbell or anybody involved.” In other words, Ray said, there was no favoritism at work.

“We don’t tolerate speeding now,” Ray said. “But then again, we don’t write (tickets to) everyone who speeds. That’s not the way we do business.”

Asked if a reporter could view videotape of the traffic stop taken from Ruelas’ car, Ray said, “The honest truth is the video on that stop — you can’t see anything. There’s something wrong with the camera.”

Video of Bauer’s stop by the Highway Patrol in Chester has played on Internet sites across South Carolina and on national media outlets.

Bauer’s history of speeding has been well documented.

But Campbell has more points against his driver’s license. According to Department of Motor Vehicles records, Campbell has four points against his license; Bauer has zero.

Campbell was given a four-point ticket in January for speeding more than 10 mph over the limit.

Records for Republican Henry Jordan, who announced his candidacy Thursday, were not immediately available. Democratic candidate Robert Barber of Charleston has zero points on his driver’s license.

Friday, Campbell accused the Bauer campaign of leaking information about the New Ellenton stop “to divert attention from its meltdown.”

The story of Piper’s speeding was first reported in the Aiken Standard newspaper Friday.

Bauer campaign aide Rod Shealy said “voters will make their decision based on which candidate has a proven record of hard work, making a difference and working for the taxpayers.”

Reach Gould Sheinin at (803) 771-8658.