Former North Charleston lawmaker Mickey Whatley now says a letter sent to voters last week bearing his signature warped the message he agreed to support.

"While I support John Kuhn ... I would in no way translate that as an attack on you, your family or your representation of Charleston County in the state Legislature," Whatley says in a letter that Campsen asked him to write as a clarification.

"It concerns me greatly that the intent on my part to support in a positive way John Kuhn's concerns for the people of North Charleston was used to attack you," Whatley also wrote.

Whatley has not responded to repeated telephone messages by The Post and Courier left at his home number and cell phone and was not home when a reporter visited his residence this week.

Kuhn on Thursday defended the original letter, which he said was coordinated by campaign consultant Rod Shealy, and that Whatley participated in the discussion.

"I presume that at the time that Rod worked with Mickey, Mickey was in agreement with the letter or he wouldn't have sent the signature for the letter," said Kuhn. "It is not an uncommon practice in campaigns for a campaign advisor to get information from somebody, draft up the letter and get a signature faxed over for the letter," Kuhn said.

Campsen finished first in the Senate District 43 GOP primary with 42 percent of the vote.

Kuhn, the incumbent, got 36 percent.

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