Turmoil in South Carolina as Insurance Director Steps Down

In unrelated news that predates Black's resignation, Haley herself is under fire for allegedly steering a grant meant for studying federal health care exchanges to a foregone conclusion.

Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) called for a federal investigation into whether Governor Haley improperly used a $1 million grant awarded to South Carolina for the purpose of planning their state health care exchange under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and if so, whether the state should repay the taxpayers.

The state's latest quarterly report shows that it has spent almost $109,000 of the federal grant on activities for the South Carolina Health Planning Committee, a nonpartisan effort established by Haley last March to decide whether or not the state should establish a health insurance exchange.

According to emails published by the Post and Courier, Haley wrote, "The whole point of this commission should be to figure out how to opt out and how to avoid a federal takeover, NOT create a state exchange."