WASHINGTON – Democrats have accused South Carolina’s Indo-American Governor Nikki Haley of listing her race as “white” in her voter registration form in 2001 and playing on it for political convenience. Haley created history this year when she was sworn in as the first woman Governor of South Carolina.
The 39 year old Haley is also the first Indian-American woman Governor and, after Bobby Jindal from Louisiana, is only the second from the community to occupy this post.
The local Post and Courier newspapers reported that the State Democratic Party, which obtained the public record in this regard, is asking whether her inconsistency on the card made her ineligible to vote under a new law.
State Democratic Party chairman Dick Harpootlian said whether Haley listed her race as white or not did not really matter to him but the issue was that the Governor had shown a pattern of such actions. “Haley has been appearing on television interviews where she calls herself a minority when it suits her,” Harpootlian was quoted as saying.
“When she registers to vote she says she is white. She has developed a pattern of saying whatever is beneficial to her at the moment,” he said. “She can’t even tell the truth about her racial heritage.” There was no immediate response from Haley’s office.
