What’s next for S.C. treasurer after senators vote to remove him

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - Late Monday night, South Carolina senators took the historic step of voting to remove the state’s elected treasurer from office.

But Treasurer Curtis Loftis has not lost his job yet — and may never lose it.

To kick a statewide elected official out of office in South Carolina, it requires two-thirds of the in both the Senate and the House of Representatives to vote for it.

That happened in the Senate on Monday night, but what will happen in the House next is unclear.

“We voted tonight to remove the treasurer because he did not do his duty,” Sen. Larry Grooms, R-Berkeley, and the chair of the Senate Finance subcommittee that spearheaded the investigation that led to Loftis’ removal hearing, said after Monday’s vote. “We did our duty, and I think it’s up to the House to do their duty.”

Senators’ 33-to-8 vote to remove Loftis from the elected post he has held for more than a decade followed an eight-plus-hour-long hearing Monday in the Senate.

It was the most serious action to result at the State House so far from the investigation into a mystery $1.8 billion surplus that an outside audit determined was nonexistent and the result of a years-long ing error.

Two senators — Grooms and Sen. Stephen Goldfinch, R-Georgetown and a member of Grooms’ subcommittee — argued Loftis should be fired for willful neglect of his duties, claims to which Loftis and his attorneys responded there was no proof.

“I’d say to the House, watch the evidence,” Goldfinch told reporters after Monday’s vote. “And if they watch our hearing today, they’ll see evidence that shows the treasurer’s responsible.”

House leaders said Tuesday they were unsure how they would proceed but expected to have an answer by later this week.

“We’ve gotta do some research on it, gotta take a look at it,” House Majority Leader Davey Hiott, R-Pickens, said. “It’s kind of unprecedented waters around here, so we’ll take a look at it, see where we go from here, and make some decision based on what the [House Republican] caucus wants to do.”

Because this type of removal of a constitutional officer has never happened in South Carolina’s 237-year history, how this process should play out is open to interpretation.

So it is unclear if the House would also need to hold a hearing on Loftis’ removal, or if its could immediately vote on whether to fire him.

The House could also do nothing with the question, especially with the legislative session winding down for the year, which would keep the treasurer in office.

“Oh it’s definitely a possibility,” Hiott said. “I mean, there’s only eight days left. There’s a whole lot of possibilities with what’s going on with that, but certainly there’s a possibility it doesn’t even get taken up this year.”

After Monday’s vote, Loftis responded in a statement, in part, “We knew this process would be more political in nature than the serious legal hearing one would expect to overturn a statewide election. But today is just one step in this process, and we will now weigh our options on next steps.”

After previously saying he would not seek a fifth term in office, Loftis has recently announced he now plans to run for reelection again next year.

On Tuesday, Gov. Henry McMaster told reporters he believes these removal-from-office proceedings are a waste of time at the State House and that this is a question that should be left to voters, not lawmakers.

“That’s where this ought to be decided. Let the people decide,” McMaster said.

However, the governor plays no role in these proceedings, which are entirely left up to the General Assembly.

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