The spending activities of a South Carolina tourism marketer that receives tax dollars are not subject to the state’s Freedom of Information Act, the state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.
The decision reversed a lower court’s ruling that found the Hilton Head-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce was was a public body that falls under the open records law. It effectively shields million of dollars in tax revenue from public scrutiny under the state’s disclosure law.
“We hold, as a matter of discerning legislative intent, that the General Assembly did not intend the Chamber to be considered a public body for purposes of FOIA as a result of its receipt and expenditure of these specific funds,” the high court wrote. Read more…