Tom Steyer endorsed for Presidency by influential SC lawmaker

Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer has picked up the endorsement of a key lawmaker in early-voting South Carolina. Steyer’s campaign says state Rep. Jerry Govan has signed on as a senior adviser. Govan is chairman of South Carolina’s Legislative Black Caucus. The group’s members have become sought-after endorsements for presidential candidates as they compete in the state, where the majority of the Democratic primary electorate is African American. Govan previously supported Joe Biden, serving as an adviser and co-chairman of Biden’s 2008 campaign in South Carolina. Steyer, a California financier and liberal activist, is campaigning in the state this weekend. He’s scheduled to speak to Black Caucus members in Columbia and attend the Charleston Blue Jam on Saturday.

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Billionaire Democratic hopeful Steyer releases his taxes

Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer made well over a billion dollars over the last decade from holdings that not only include the hedge fund he founded but also investments in Chinese private equity firms, tech startups, pharmaceutical companies and nursing homes, his tax filings show. The California financier and liberal activist had promised to release his tax forms once he entered the race. He also challenged President Donald Trump, the only president since Richard Nixon who hasn’t released his, to follow suit. On Thursday, Steyer followed through by posting more than 2,600 pages of records to his website. “The American public can have a clear picture of his charitable giving, political activities, and taxes paid,” his campaign said in a memo. 
“Tom has long committed to releasing his tax returns if he ever became a candidate for public office, and today’s disclosure makes good on that commitment.” The release of Steyer’s taxes offers a detailed yet incomplete look at his massive wealth and business success, which he has made central to his pitch to voters. But it also comes immediately after he failed to qualify for the next Democratic primary debate, a setback that could seriously diminish his prospects if he doesn’t find ways to generate news coverage and stay in the conversation.

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