~ The issue ~ Former Sen. Tommy Moore’s new job

~ Our opinion ~ Representing payday lending industry

will test negotiating skills

Veteran Aiken Sen. and former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tommy Moore turned some heads this week when he accepted a position as leader of the primary group promoting the payday lending industry in the United States.

The announcement that Moore was accepting the post came following his resignation as a state senator. He will become the executive vice president of the Community Financial Services Association of America.

Reaction was swift, with critics examining Moore’s role regarding proposed legislation to regulate the industry in South Carolina. There also was praise from political opposites such as Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn McConnell, who noted the senator’s longtime role as a “go-to” legislator for making the lawmaking process work, and Democratic Sen. Robert Ford, who said, if anyone can, Moore can bring credibility to an industry that has been outlawed in some states, including Georgia.

Before being too harsh on Moore, it should be noted the association he represents has been out front seeking to legitimize the industry and undermine operators who give it the reputation for preying on the poor.

And some have noted Moore’s decision to accept the job and move to Virginia is not dissimilar from the move made by the late Carroll A. Campbell in becoming the national spokesman for the life insurance industry when he left office.

Moore addressed his critics during the taping of an interview at ETV studios on Tuesday. In response to a question from “The Big Picture” host Andrew Gobeil, Moore said he understands how some might question the new position since legislation to ban payday lending never came to pass in South Carolina. Nonetheless, Moore said he is guilty of no ethical violations by accepting a job with the national payday lending association .

“The bill came before (the) Judiciary Committee because it had a criminal penalty and it went back to banking and insurance. I voted to bring it out of committee; it was not in my subcommittee. In fact, in ’99 I believe it was, I voted to regulate the payday lending, so obviously, it has to look right and be right. But I did not entertain any written offer from the association ’til after we adjourned, and even after I resigned, to make sure that there were no ethical violations. So, I know that sometimes folks want to think what they want to, but I came in with credibility and I am going out with credibility.”

Still later, during the interview that will air during the Thursday, July 12, episode of “The Big Picture” at 7:30 p.m., Moore said, “I don’t blame anyone for having their antenna raised, that’s fine, but it’s an offer ... I did not even receive a written offer until after I had adjourned. ”

In response to another question by Gobeil, Moore said some accounts that say he is going to be a lobbyist have gotten things wrong.

“I am not going to be a lobbyist, as some folks have reported. And even in that, I will not be involved in anything as far as South Carolina is concerned for a year, even though I am not going to be a registered lobbyist.”

Moore says his new job offers a great new opportunity for him and his family: “My wife and I have always wanted to broaden our horizons, shall we say, and Alexandria (Va.) is such a beautiful city ... I’m looking forward to another part of life.”

South Carolinians can thank Moore for his service and wish him luck in his new position. He’ll need it and all his acclaimed negotiating skills in representing businesses that face some of the harshest critics here and around the country.

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