Rumor mill in effect at S.C. Policy Council (updated)

In February of 2008, there were numerous rumors about the activities of former South Carolina Policy Council president Ed McMullen, which were eventually debunked. Nearly a year later, the rumor mill is starting up again. Over the year, there has been significant turnover at S.C.’s leading think tank, not the least of which was the hiring of research associate Justin Evans.

According to the SCPC Web site, Evans is responsible for investigative journalism and policy research.

Sources close to Wolfe Reports have said that until recently, Evans had a comment on his Facebook profile that said something to the effect that he didn’t come up with “the research to defeat candidates, [he] did the research that put those candidates in jail.” A perusing of his profile revealed that if the quote had been there, it was expunged. (see update)

SCPC president Ashley Landess calls the allegations absurd.

“We are not — and this is a ridiculous rumor — we are not looking into legislators and their backgrounds and their personal lives,” she said. “Absolutely not. We have no interest in that.”

Several State House insiders believe the SCPC is getting involved with opposition research, and in General Assembly races, putting the organization’s 501(c)3 status in jeopardy.

“We’re not a political organization,” Landess said. “Justin, like all of our researchers, is looking into state government, how it operates, specifically how dollars are being spent, how programs are being run — all of the larger good government issues.”

She continued, “What you’re hearing, frankly, is exactly the kind of response that you get from people when they feel like you’re asking questions they don’t like.”

UPDATE: According to a source with more access to the profile, Evans’ description of his job was, “Voting politicians out of office is a short term fix….indicting them is much more permanent.”