Paul Moore, the former finance director of the S.C. Department of Social Services, was in court on Wednesday after being arrested last week on charges of theft, wire fraud, mail fraud and conspiracy, personally taking over a million dollars from the agency.

The rub, though, is what he spent the money on. As other officials high and low, like former Alabama head football coach Mike Price, will tell you is that when you involve women of the pole, you go from normal ignominy to full-blown infamy.

According to U.S. Attorney Walt Wilkins, Moore said he used the $1.3 million he scammed from DSS for gambling debts, booze and, the aspect that makes reporters’ hearts sing, visits to strip clubs.

However, the authorities have yet to find where the money could have originated before being dispensed on the vice combo.

“We have been unable to locate any cash or bank accounts with large sums of money that are owned, directly or indirectly, by Paul Moore,“ Wilkins said to WSPA.

Also on Wednesday, attorneys for Moore’s seven alleged conspirators asked for charges to be dropped because the government had not produced enough evidence to justify the charges. The judge in the case elected to delay her decision on that matter, but set Moore’s bail at $75,000.

The arrest and upcoming prosecution turns a so-so year for the Moore family into a decidedly bad one. Last year, Paul’s brother Tommy, the former state senator and 2006 Democratic gubernatorial candidate, was criticized for being a prominent lobbyist of the payday lending industry at a time in which many members of both parties in the General Assembly were trying to ban, or at least highly-regulate, the industry which is seen as a predatory lender to lower-middle class families.

WEDNESDAY

• Sen. Glenn McConnell expressed frustration at the Senate’s attempts to work out issues with one of the contractors for work on the Gressette Building (full disclosure: Sen. Marion Gressette was the Wolfe family attorney back in the day). According to statements on the Senate floor, there have been problems with contract negotiations. The Senate went into executive session to deal with the matter.
• Rep. Bakari Sellers introduced an unnumbered bill that would allow 15- and 16-year-olds with special evening driving exemptions to travel to religious activities. Other allowed exemptions include traveling to practice for school athletics and similar actions. Sellers held his arms out in a reaction of incredulity after a couple reactions to his proposal. One legislator, confused as to the nature of the bill, thought it mandated attendance at church. Also, for reasons not immediately ascertained, Rep. Phil Owens was the only legislator to object to the proposal.
• At the end of the day’s session, Rep. Grady Brown made his feelings known on the temperature in the back benches of the House chamber.
  Brown: “Mr. Speaker, I’ve heard several people comment, back in this corner, it is cold. Cold. I would suggest….”
  Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell: “Cold as in you don’t think people care, Mr. Brown?”
  Brown: “I’m talking about the weather.”
  Harrell: “I understand Mr. Brown, and I believe the Sergeant has heard you and he’ll look into that.”

THURSDAY

• Sen. Mike Rose got into an extensive discussion with his colleagues over his bill to allow Dorchester County School District 2 to institute impact fees if it so chooses. Dorchester County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the state, and the district is experiencing the same budget woes of every other governmental entity. Sen. Hugh Leatherman, chairman of the Finance Committee, said the bills, which are considered local legislation, would likely get the state sued. Rose replied that researchers he consulted said the legislation would be OK, and that he did not want the bills to go to the committee. Leatherman offered that he would send the bills to the appropriate subcommittee to be considered.
  
  Rose: “This bill does not impose an impact fee. It gives authority to a school district to do what that school district sees fit within the parameters stated in the bill. Unfortunately, in my county, the students aren’t stopping and the demands on the schools are not stopping, they’re increasing. So we’ve at least got to give them the tools to handle that.
  
  “Senator, I don’t mind carrying over the impact fee bill, but I do mind carrying over the information bill. You couldn’t have anything more vanilla-flavored than providing information. How can anybody be against information?
  
  “I say this respectfully, very respectfully, as respectfully as I can, I’ve been around here long enough to know what can happen if this goes to the Finance Committee. It might go to a subcommittee, but it’s not…the impact fee bill has been there for three years, for Dorchester County, and I know already the chairman who controls it is opposed to impact fees, period. So, I’d be a fool to volunteer to do that.”
  
  After Leatherman’s action to ask for unanimous consent for a motion to send the bills to the Finance Committee failed, the information bill was read for the third time and sent to the House. The impact fees bill was carried over.

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Contact Wes Wolfe at wes@wolfereports.com today.