There's no surer sign of nepotism than S.C. Gov. Haley's daughter getting a summer job at the gift shop

The 14-year-old daughter of South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley secured a job this summer at the State House gift shop where she's raking in the money at $8 an hour cleaning and stocking shelves. Sound fishy to you? The State is on it!

Starting on July 16 and continuing as recently as Wednesday, the governor’s office would not answer The State’s questions about young Haley’s job and nepotism, citing safety concerns.

Dick Harpootlian, chairman of the S.C. Democratic Party, couldn't be more upset about this obvious conflict of interest. "You don’t use your position to get your daughter a job. It’s not about the daughter. It’s about lack of judgment by the governor,” he said. "The appearance of impropriety doesn’t seem to bother the governor.”

As The State notes, the gift shop, with its lucrative $8-an-hour jobs, is not managed by Haley but by the Parks, Recreation and Tourism agency which is overseen by Haley. But the publication still needs answers, dammit!: "[T]he essential issue is whether it is appropriate for the daughter of the governor to be placed on the state payroll," said the paper's executive editor Mark E. Lett. "The child was put in that position by adults in state government and in the Haley family. We have made no attempt to interview the daughter but have asked those adults for comment."

One can only hope The State will continue doing its public service exposing any and all forms of government corruption.

[The State, Washington Post]