An upstate House member has been fined for mishandling funds in his campaign account. District 8 Representative Jonathan Hill was fined $12,000 by the South Carolina House Ethics Committee in a decision handed down Thursday.
Hill admitted to 54 counts of violating the state Ethics Act as part of a settlement. The charges including his use of campaign funds to make a mortgage payment. Hill's attorney, Tom Fernandez said that mix-up was accidental and was corrected by Hill within days.
Fernandez pointed out that the investigation began after Hill found some the irregularities with his campaign account and reported it to the Ethics Committee himself. Hill, who is not running for re-election will have to pay 24 monthly installments of $500. The House Ethics Committee also issued a public reprimand of the Townville Republican.