Nikki Haley, Palin-Backed Candidate, Denies Affair With Blogger

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Campaign 2010

Updated 3:37 p.m. Eastern

Republican Nikki Haley, who is hoping to succeed Mark Sanford as South Carolina governor, is denying a claim by Republican blogger and former Sanford aide Will Folks that the two engaged in an "inappropriate physical relationship" several years ago, before he was married.

Folks writes that he decided to come forward because "within the last forty-eight hours several pieces of information which purportedly document a prior physical relationship between myself and Rep. Haley have begun to be leaked slowly, piece by piece, to members of the mainstream media. I am told that at least one story based upon this information will be published this week."

He says he will not be discussing the relationship further.

"People are human. We make mistakes," he writes. "... I can sleep at night knowing I handled this the best way I knew how (the way my wife and I decided together that it needed to be handled), which was to simply tell the truth."

Haley's campaign told WIS-TV that it "emphatically" denies Folks' claim.

"I have been 100% faithful to my husband throughout our 13 years of marriage," Haley said in a statement. "This claim against me is categorically and totally false."

Haley's candidacy has been on the rise thanks in large part to an endorsement from Sarah Palin, who campaigned for her earlier this month. Also campaigning for Haley was Jenny Sanford, who divorced current governor Mark Sanford after revelations of his infidelity.

As Ben Smith notes, Haley, speaking of Sanford, has vowed that she is "not going to screw up like he did." Smith also reports that Folks was on Haley's campaign payroll in 2008.

With the GOP primary scheduled for June 8th, polls show Haley leading GOP primary combatants Attorney General Henry McMaster, Rep. Gresham Barrett, and Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer.

UPDATE: Palin has posted a spirited defense of Haley on her Facebook page.

"South Carolina: don't let some blogger make any accusation against your Nikki if the guy doesn't even have the guts or the integrity to speak further on such a significant claim," she wrote. "And don't believe anything a liberal rag claims or suggests unless the reporter involved has the integrity and the facts to report to you so you can make up your own mind. For traditional media to rely on an accusation via some blog entry is almost laughable, but I know the seriousness of it because that's exactly what my family and colleagues have had to put up with, every single day, for the past couple of years."

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by gig76 May 25, 2010 1:21 PM EDT: She is so caught -- liar liar pants on fire. Nikki give it up -- too easy to confirm your affair. Please just admit in public what happened or face the truth of supoena to prove the truth. Lifelock can recover docs, so don't even try to hide the evidence. You are so busted.; Reply to this comment

by merlgrey May 25, 2010 2:35 AM EDT

have yet to see a publicly outed political sex scandal not come true in the end.

regardless of motive, bets are chickychickybangbang comes clean in the next week.

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by Palin_for_Presidentess May 25, 2010 12:14 PM EDT: I am laughing so hard right now. Loved this.


by kenhamlett May 24, 2010 8:15 PM EDT: God help me. I am agreeing with Palin. Sort of.

This is typical of the sleaze in South Carolina but what if it is true? She is still the best candidate the Republicans have to offer.
The opposition is a scofflaw associated with a prior cokehead official (and it would be impossible for the cokehead to snort it all himself not that I am making an accusation), a good old boy whose only points to offer are a political appointment, a dubious lawsuit, and a corrupt department (I can personally attest to that),and a nobody who is apparently running just for the hell of it.

I have not assessed the Democrats yet but so far the Republicans have nothing to offer except Haley, with or without the proof of the allegation.; Reply to this comment


by p_syrus May 24, 2010 6:46 PM EDT: Yeah. She & Sarah were Moose Hunting on the Appalachian Trail at the time. ;-); Reply to this comment


by Palin_for_Presidentess May 24, 2010 6:42 PM EDT: Haley must think that there isn't any evidence out there to prove this guys claim.; Reply to this comment

by kansas1946 May 24, 2010 5:05 PM EDT

"I have been 100% faithful to my husband throughout our 13 years of marriage," Haley said in a statement. "This claim against me is categorically and totally false."

************************

Gosh, haven't we heard that before from a bunch of the "family values" Republicans? We'll see how this pans out.

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by stormerF3 May 24, 2010 6:26 PM EDT: Comming from a state that is raising taxes to promote more social welfare.


by thebob-bob May 24, 2010 4:28 PM EDT: "For traditional media to rely on an accusation via some blog entry is almost laughable".

I'm sure she was appalled at the accusations by blogger Drudge back when the "liberal rags" were publishing numerous lies about Whitewater and other "crimes' by the Clintons. Never mind the corporate funded right wing noise machine as it tries to distract from real problems.

But hey, if she's endorsed by Palin, she must have some value The New American Fascist Party so they'll keep supporting her.; Reply to this comment

by RE15 May 24, 2010 3:38 PM EDT

Real simple solution...

Haley needs to sue the accuser for slander or libel. If she isn't willing to sue, then there is obviously a flaw in her denial. And guess what folks! That makes her a liar. I come from Northern Indiana where we just found out our 16 year representative had been lying to us for over 5 years about an affair.

If Haley is hiding something, South Carolina might as well get the liar out before it is too late.

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by oldgopdog May 24, 2010 4:51 PM EDT: In South Carolina, all elected officials may be slanderred or liabled without any penalty. Even the good public servants can be treated like some gansta from the Bronx, thug from Chicago.. or some Washington DC not job serving in Congress. Our State Supreme Court considers slander and liable a price all elected and candidates must endure.
Sad but True.
Again, the next two weeks will be dominated by this type of juicy gossip while the electorate forgets about unemployment, failing schools, and a federally mandated budget crisis.


by stormerF3 May 24, 2010 6:30 PM EDT: Sounds like something Sestak said about the White House's offer to bribe hime bot to run? Oh,by the way that is against the law. Whom ever you dip your wick with is not against the law.


by zzzyyyzzz May 24, 2010 3:34 PM EDT: Another religious hypocrite bites the dust.; Reply to this comment


by kcsteak2 May 24, 2010 3:32 PM EDT: The established GOP RINO's are being purged from our party. They are fighting tooth and nail to survive. ;0); Reply to this comment