THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA 

In The Court of Appeals 

Jefferson Davis, Jr., Appellant, 

v. 

South Carolina Educational Credit for Exceptional Needs 

Children Fund, Respondent. 

Appellate Case No. 2019-001231 

Appeal from Richland County 

DeAndrea G. Benjamin, Circuit Court Judge 

Opinion No. 6014 

Heard November 7, 2022 – Filed August 9, 2023 

AFFIRMED 

Jefferson Davis, Jr., pro se. 

Geoffrey Kelly Chambers, of Green Cove Springs, 

Florida, for Respondent. 

GEATHERS, J.: In this Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) litigation, Appellant 

Jefferson Davis, Jr. (Davis) appeals the circuit court's order granting summary 

judgment to Respondent South Carolina Educational Credit for Exceptional Needs 

Children Fund (the Fund). Davis contends the circuit court erred in (1) finding that 

the Fund is not covered by state law defining a "public body"; (2) finding that the 

Fund was not supported by public funds; (3) finding that reporting requirements for 

the Department of Revenue could replace any FOIA obligations the Fund might 

have; (4) finding that reporting requirements in a 2016–2017 budget proviso were 

sufficient to replace any FOIA obligations the Fund might have; (5) finding that 
 

reporting requirements in a 2017–2018 budget proviso were sufficient to replace any 

FOIA obligations the Fund might have; (6) taking into account later legislation when 

considering the intent behind the budget provisos governing the Fund; and (7) 

misconstruing legislation that made the Fund permanent. We affirm. 

FACTS/PROCEDURAL HISTORY 

In 2017, Davis began filing FOIA requests with the Fund, which was created 

by a proviso in the 2016–2017 General Appropriations Act.1  The program provides 

funding for children defined as "exceptional needs children" to attend private 

schools; in return, those who donate to the Fund receive a state tax credit. The 

proviso specifically stated that "[t]he [F]und may not receive an appropriation of 

public funds." The proviso also stated that monies raised by the Fund "do not 

constitute public funds," and provided that the state could not be obligated by the 

Fund's contracts or other agreements. It allowed five directors to be appointed by 

lawmakers and the governor, though it provided that those selections would be made 

"based upon" recommendations from certain school organizations. The Department 

of Revenue (the Department), "[i]n concert with the [F]und directors" was instructed 

to "administer the fund, including, but not limited to, the keeping of records, the 

management of accounts, and disbursement of the grants awarded pursuant to this 

proviso." Additionally, the proviso required an accounting of the money on June 

30, 2017. Approximately one year later, a virtually identical proviso was passed as 

part of the 2017-2018 General Appropriations Act. The program was permanently 

codified by the General Assembly in 2018. 

Davis's first two FOIA requests to the Fund were sent on December 14, 2016. 

He asked for "notifications of any and all meetings involving the ECENC Fund." 

Davis also requested: 

1. Copies of all invoices and payments made on behalf of 

[the Fund]. 

2. Copies of all board meetings and/or actions for [the 

Fund]. 

3. Copies of all brokerage statements for [the Fund]. 

1 Specifically, Proviso 109.15 established the program. 
 

 

 

 

4. Copies of any employment or contractor agreement with 

or for the services of [an individual not directly involved 

in the current litigation]. 

He sent the requests by mail and emailed them to Tom Persons, who served on the 

Fund's board. Additionally, on July 10, 2017, Davis sent a request for a copy of the 

report that the Fund is required to submit to the Department. 

On July 25, 2017, attorney Geoffrey K. Chambers responded on behalf of the 

Fund to Davis's July 10 request. He wrote: 

South Carolina Educational Credit for Exceptional Needs 

Children Fund is a 501(c) charitable organization. 

Pursuant to the South Carolina Freedom of Information 

Act, S[.]C[.] Code Annotated 30-4-10 et seq., and the 

South Carolina Solicitation of Public Funds Act, []33-56-

10 et seq., South Carolina Educational Credit for 

Exceptional Needs Children Fund is not subject to FOIA. 

I believe the documents you seek are public documents. I 

do not have the documents to provide a courtesy copy. I 

recommend you request these documents from the proper 

public body records custodian. 

Undeterred, on August 31, 2017, Davis requested documents related to the 

Fund's "funding formula" for the previous and then-current fiscal year. On 

September 12, 2017, Chambers responded again, reiterating that the Fund did not 

believe it was subject to the FOIA and adding: 

Due to pending litigation you have brought regarding 

Freedom of Information Act requests sent to [the Fund], I 

have instructed my client not to respond. In the future, I 

recommend you direct FOIA requests to government 

entities. As an opposing party in litigation, I ask that you 

do not send any correspondence directly to parties who 

have representation. 

Indeed, on July 31, Davis had filed a pro se complaint for FOIA enforcement 

in Greenville County, seeking declaratory and injunctive relief. In an order filed 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November 7, 2017, the circuit court in Greenville County transferred venue to 

Richland County in a Form 4 order.2 

The Fund filed its answer in Richland County on November 20, 2017, 

essentially denying the substantive portions of Davis's complaint. Davis filed a 

motion for summary judgment on January 24, 2018. The motion included 

allegations that that the Fund was created by the legislature; that its board was 

appointed "by elected government officials"; that the Department helped set up and 

is authorized to help administer the Fund; that the Department helped the Fund in 

raising donations through email and social media; that contributions to the Fund 

could be routed through the state's internet presence; and that the Fund "is publicly 

listed as a 'State Board and Commission'" on the Secretary of State's website. 

In his written summary judgment motion, Davis noted precedent from our 

supreme court suggesting that some private nonprofits could be subject to the FOIA. 

He also cited an opinion from the South Carolina Attorney General's Office stating 

that "a court would likely find the grant [and tax credits]3 authorized by the ECENC 

proviso likewise constitute 'public funds.'" (quoting Op. S.C. Atty. Gen., January 18, 

2018). 

In addition, Davis filed an affidavit and multiple exhibits. In the affidavit, 

Davis complained that he had not received responses to his FOIA requests,4 had not 

been notified about board meetings that he believed had occurred since his initial 

FOIA request, and had reached a state employee's voicemail when he called a 

number provided for certain donations to the Fund that Davis had found on the 

internet. 

Among the attachments to Davis's affidavit were: (1) the articles of 

incorporation for the Fund, signed by Rick Reames III5 as the agent, with the address 

listed as 300A Outlet Pointe Boulevard in Columbia; (2) the Fund's registration with 

2 Initial hearings under FOIA are generally supposed to be scheduled "within ten 

days of the service on all parties." S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-100 (Supp. 2022). 

According to the Fund, one reason this FOIA litigation persisted so long in the circuit 

court is that Davis incorrectly filed his suit as "complex litigation." 

3 The bracketed words appear in the opinion from the Attorney General's Office, but 

are omitted by ellipsis in Davis's motion. 

4 According to a memorandum in support of the motion to dismiss filed by the Fund 

on June 14, 2018, Davis "has received copies of [the Fund's] reports." These 

statements are not mutually exclusive. 

5 Reames was director of the South Carolina Department of Revenue at the time. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the Public Charities Division of the Secretary of State's office, listing Reames as the 

"contact person" for the Fund, listing his title as "President," and giving the address 

of P.O. Box 125 in the 29214 ZIP code in Columbia, as well as listing Reames as 

the registered agent and providing the same street address as listed on the articles of 

incorporation;

6 (3) a receipt reflecting a $50.00 payment from the Fund on July 8, 

2016;7 (4) an image of a web page directing potential Fund donors with certain 

financial instruments to "have your account manager contact" a phone number that 

Davis said led to the state employee's voicemail;

8 (5) internet communications 

highlighting the Fund on the Department's website, Facebook page, and Twitter 

feed; (6) a web page for contributions to the fund at 

https://ssl.sc.gov/checkout/exceptionalsc/; and (7) results from an internet search of 

the Secretary of State's Boards and Commissions website showing the members of 

the Fund's board, and listing the Fund as a board, commission, or committee. 

Davis also attached an email chain between Reames and an individual at the 

South Carolina Chamber of Commerce. Davis characterized the email as support 

for his allegation that state officials helped raise money for the Fund.9 The emails 

indicated that Reames and the individual at the chamber had previously discussed 

the Fund, and that Reames was hoping the individual could send an "introduction" 

to members "that might have local decision making and have SC tax liabilities they 

want to abate." The individual then requested a draft of a potential email from 

Reames. Reames responded: 

Exceptional SC is the new face of South Carolina's 

Educational Credit for Exceptional Needs Children. It is 

an organization established under Internal Revenue Code 

Section 501(c)(3) that is dedicated to supporting 

exceptional needs students and families in South Carolina 

by providing scholarships to attend private schools that 

meet their needs. 

6 Additionally, Reames signed spaces for the Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer of 

the charity and Chief Executive Officer/President of the charity. 

7 The filing fee for a registration with the Public Charities Division is $50.00. 

8 The number was to be called "for delivery instructions." The same page instructed 

those who wanted to mail their checks to send them to the Fund at a post office box 

in Columbia. 

9 At times, because of markings on the emails, they are difficult to make out in the 

record. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donors making financial contributions to Exceptional SC 

not only help these exceptional needs children but also 

receive significant tax benefits, including a state income 

tax credit. The total statewide credit is limited to $10M on 

a first come, first serve basis - and it is already filling up 

fast. Potential donors should act fast so they don't lose this 

opportunity. Click on www.exceptionalsc.org for more 

information. 

In the email, Reames indicated that the individual at the chamber should "[e]dit as 

[they] need to." Reames's signature block in the emails identified him as director of 

the Department and included a P.O. Box address provided on some of the Fund's 

paperwork. At least one of the emails Reames sent originated from a dor.sc.gov 

account.10 

The circuit court11 held a hearing on April 17, 2018. Counsel for the Fund did 

not appear, so the court took Davis's arguments under advisement. The circuit court 

held another hearing on May 15, 2018. There, the Fund argued that it was a 

"regulated charity" rather than a public body. It contended that the appointments to 

its board, while made by elected officials, were essentially ratifications of nominees 

from the named school organizations. The Fund also argued that the Secretary of 

State's decision to include the Fund on its list of state boards was incorrect and that 

the South Carolina Legislative Manual did not list the Fund as a state board. 

Additionally, the Fund argued virtually all of its activities were covered by the 

FOIA-related provisions of legislation making the Fund permanent that the governor 

was considering. The court denied Davis's motion for summary judgment, saying 

that it "believe[d] that a genuine issue of material fact exist[ed] . . . ." 

On June 14, 2018, the Fund filed a motion to dismiss and a motion for a 

protective order. In a memorandum supporting the motion to dismiss, the Fund 

10 It is likely both did. An affidavit sworn May 11, 2018 by Thomas Persons, the 

chairman of the Fund's board, states that currently "[t]here is no assistance from any 

government entity in contacting potential donors and soliciting donations." Persons 

refers to the Fund as a "highly regulated" organization. Additionally, he states that 

the Department "monitors incoming funds much like a turnstile would monitor 

passengers entering a train station." 

11 At least four different circuit court judges were involved in this litigation in 

Richland County. For ease of understanding, we will not refer to each of the judges 

by name. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

argued that our supreme court's holding in DomainsNewMedia.com v. Hilton Head 

Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce, 423 S.C. 295, 814 S.E.2d 513 (2018) was 

controlling.12 

The Fund's motion also mentioned a development outside the courtroom: 

legislation signed by the governor the previous month (the Act) permanently 

codifying the Fund and providing: 

In concert with the public charity directors, the department 

shall administer the public charity including, but not 

limited to, the keeping of records, the management of 

accounts, and disbursement of the grants awarded 

pursuant to this section. The public charity may expend 

up to two percent of the fund for administration and related 

costs. The department and the public charity may not 

expend public funds to administer the program. 

Information contained in or produced from a tax return, 

document, or magnetically or electronically stored data 

utilized by the Department of Revenue or the public 

charity in the exercise of its duties as provided in this 

section must remain confidential and is exempt from 

disclosure pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act. 

Personally identifiable information, as described in the 

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and individual 

health records, or the medical or wellness needs of 

children applying for or receiving grants must remain 

confidential and is not subject to disclosure pursuant to 

the Freedom of Information Act.13 

(Emphasis added in the memo). The Fund argued that this provision was "explicit 

instruction from the legislature that FOIA does not apply to the normal operations 

of [the Fund]." The Fund also contended that, under the FOIA, meetings related to 

12 We discuss this case in greater detail in our analysis. 

13 The legislation also made some other changes. For example, the Act did not 

include the requirement that elected officials consult with school organizations for 

their appointments to the board. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

scholarship decisions "are . . . closed to the public" under section 30-4-70(a)(1) of 

the South Carolina Code (2007).

14 

The circuit court held its third hearing on the matter on August 9, 2018. The 

court denied the Fund's motion to dismiss. It also ordered the Fund to comply with 

Davis's discovery requests to the extent possible. 

On August 17, 2018, the Fund filed a motion for summary judgment, a 

memorandum on the motion for summary judgment, and a motion for judgment on 

the pleadings with an accompanying memorandum. In these filings, the Fund largely 

reiterated its arguments from the motion to dismiss.15 

Davis filed an emergency motion for contempt and sanctions on August 22, 

2018. In it, he argued that the Fund had failed to produce certain discovery. At a 

hearing on September 4, 2018, the circuit court held a status conference. Scheduling 

and discovery issues were discussed. This was followed by a motion to compel 

discovery and for sanctions on September 10, 2018. Additionally, Davis filed a 

renewal of his motion for summary judgment on September 10, 2018. 

The circuit court held another hearing on October 3, 2018. On December 21, 

2018, in a Form 4 order, the circuit court granted the Fund's motions for judgment 

on the pleadings and summary judgment. In its later written order, the circuit court 

noted the DomainsNewMedia.com decision. The circuit court found the Fund was 

similarly situated to the chamber of commerce in our supreme court's decision: 

Educational Credit for Exceptional Needs Children Fund 

registers with the Secretary of State as a public charity 

under Section 509 and reports to the Secretary of State as 

14 See S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-70(a) (2007) ("A public body may hold a meeting 

closed to the public for . . . [d]iscussion of employment, appointment, compensation, 

promotion, demotion, discipline, or release of an employee, a student, or a person 

regulated by a public body or the appointment of a person to a public body . . . .") 

15 The Fund filed a revised memorandum in support of its motion for judgment on 

the pleadings on September 29, 2018, again elaborating on its arguments. In addition 

to its previous theories, the Fund contended that it could not be a public body because 

state law does not allow it to "receive, have or spend public funds." Further, it noted 

that state law described the Fund as an independent entity, and "provide[d] that the 

Department of Revenue and [the Fund] may not expend public funds to administer" 

the Fund. It also argued that the legislative intent of provisions setting up the fund 

supported its motions. 
contemplated for entities not subject to FOIA. The 

funding is not state funding, but rather private donations. 

Exceptional SC receives no support from state funding. 

The State has provided an avenue for Exceptional SC to 

exist, and for that reason this program is highly regulated 

and reporting intensive, like the Chamber of Commerce. 

Additionally, the circuit court interpreted the adoption of the Act as "explicit 

instruction from the legislature that FOIA does not apply to the normal operations 

of [the Fund]." The circuit court added: "Likewise, according to the South Carolina 

Freedom of Information Act, public meetings in which applications for scholarships 

are reviewed and scholarships are awarded are exempt from FOIA disclosure and 

can be closed meetings." 

On July 8, 2019, the circuit court denied Davis's motion for reconsideration 

with a Form 4 order. This appeal followed. 

ISSUES ON APPEAL 

I. Did the circuit court err in finding that the Fund is not a "public body" for the 

purposes of FOIA even though it was created by the General Assembly, is 

governed by a board appointed by state officials, and can be administered by 

the Department? 

II. Did the circuit err in granting summary judgment based in part on a finding 

that no public funds were expended by the Department, despite the evidence 

provided by Davis? 

III. Did the circuit court err in finding that reporting requirements on the part of 

the Department could serve as a replacement for the Fund's alleged FOIA 

obligations? 

IV. Did the circuit court err in holding that the reporting requirements in the 2016 

budget proviso were sufficient to satisfy the standards of 

DomainsNewMedia.com? 

V. Did the circuit court err in holding that the reporting requirements in the 2017 

budget proviso were sufficient to satisfy the standards of 

DomainsNewMedia.com? 
VI. Did the circuit court err in basing its interpretation of the legislative intent of 

the earlier budget provisos partially on the later legislation approved by the 

General Assembly and the governor? 

VII. Did the circuit court err in construing the Act as a broad FOIA exemption 

rather than a "belt and suspender" provision regarding already exempt 

information? 

STANDARD OF REVIEW 

"Declaratory judgments are neither legal nor equitable. The standard of 

review for a declaratory judgment action is, therefore, determined by the nature of 

the underlying issue." Bundy v. Shirley, 412 S.C. 292, 301, 772 S.E.2d 163, 168 

(2015) (citations omitted). "The interpretation of a statute is a question of law." 

DomainsNewMedia.com, LLC v. Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of 

Commerce, 423 S.C. 295, 300, 814 S.E.2d 513, 516 (2018) (quoting Sparks v. 

Palmetto Hardwood, Inc., 406 S.C. 124, 128, 750 S.E.2d 61, 63 (2013). "Th[e 

appellate c]ourt may interpret statutes, and therefore resolve the case, 'without any 

deference to the court below.'" Id. (quoting Brock v. Town of Mt. Pleasant, 415 S.C. 

625, 628, 785 S.E.2d 198, 200 (2016)). "When the circuit court grants summary 

judgment on a question of law, we review the ruling de novo." Stoneledge Lake 

Keowee Owners' Ass'n, Inc., v. Builders FirstSource–Se. Grp., 413 S.C. 630, 634– 

35, 776 S.E.2d 434, 437 (2015). To the extent that Davis's request for injunctive 

relief proves relevant, we note that "[a]ctions for injunctive relief are equitable in 

nature. In equitable actions, the appellate court may review the record and make 

findings of fact in accordance with its own view of a preponderance of the evidence." 

Wiedemann v. Town of Hilton Head Island, 344 S.C. 233, 236, 542 S.E.2d 752, 753 

(Ct. App. 2001) (citations removed). 

LAW/ANALYSIS 

I. PUBLIC BODIES AND THE FOIA 

The South Carolina Freedom of Information Act has a far-reaching definition 

of what constitutes a public body subject to its terms. According to the FOIA, a 

"public body" is defined as 

any department of the State, a majority of directors or their 

representatives of departments within the executive 

branch of state government as outlined in Section 1-30-10, 

any state board, commission, agency, and authority, any 
public or governmental body or political subdivision of the 

State, including counties, municipalities, townships, 

school districts, and special purpose districts, or any 

organization, corporation, or agency supported in whole 

or in part by public funds or expending public funds, 

including committees, subcommittees, advisory 

committees, and the like of any such body by whatever 

name known, and includes any quasi-governmental body 

of the State and its political subdivisions, including, 

without limitation, bodies such as the South Carolina 

Public Service Authority and the South Carolina State 

Ports Authority. . . . 

S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-20(a) (2007) (emphasis added). The broad sweep of that 

definition has left room for judicial interpretation. 

Perhaps the most far-reaching construction of the term "public body" comes 

from our supreme court's decision in Weston v. Carolina Research & Dev. Found., 

303 S.C. 398, 401 S.E.2d 161 (1991). In that case, the court considered the status of 

a foundation linked to the University of South Carolina that had received transfers 

of funding and real estate on behalf of university projects and research. Id. at 401– 

03, 401 S.E.2d at 163–64. The court rejected arguments that the foundation's status 

as a "private corporation" insulated it from the state's FOIA. Id. at 403, 401 S.E.2d 

at 164. 

The Foundation's argument that the FOIA only applies to 

governmental and quasi-governmental bodies would 

rewrite the statutory definition of "public body" by 

deleting the phrase, "or any organization, corporation, or 

agency supported in whole or in part by public funds or 

expending public funds." According to the Foundation's 

position, a corporation that cannot be labeled 

governmental or quasi-governmental would be exempt 

from the FOIA, regardless of whether it received support 

from public funds or expended public funds. Such a 

construction would obliterate both the intent and the clear 

meaning of the statutory definition. 

. . . . [T]he unambiguous language of the FOIA mandates 

that the receipt of support in whole or in part from public 

funds brings a corporation within the definition of a public 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

body. The common law concept of "public" versus 

"private" corporations is inconsistent with the FOIA's 

definition of "public body" and thus cannot be 

superimposed on the FOIA. 

Id. At the same time, the Weston court laid out a limiting principle that has become 

increasingly important to FOIA jurisprudence in the years since. 

[T]his decision does not mean that the FOIA would apply 

to business enterprises that receive payment from public 

bodies in return for supplying specific goods or services 

on an arms[-]length basis. In that situation, there is an 

exchange of money for identifiable goods or services and 

access to the public body's records would show how the 

money was spent. However, when a block of public funds 

is diverted en masse from a public body to a related 

organization, or when the related organization undertakes 

the management of the expenditure of public funds, the 

only way that the public can determine with specificity 

how those funds were spent is through access to the 

records and affairs of the organization receiving and 

spending the funds. 

Id. at 404, 401 S.E.2d at 165. 

Our supreme court returned to that caveat several years later in Disabato v. 

S.C. Ass'n of School Adm'rs, 404 S.C. 433, 746 S.E.2d 329 (2013). There, the court 

did not directly address whether the term "public body" was broad enough to include 

the South Carolina Association of School Administrators. Id. at 443, 746 S.E.2d at 

334. However, in discussing whether the obligation of some organizations to 

comply with the FOIA constituted a violation of those organizations' First 

Amendment rights, the Disabato court placed a renewed emphasis on the degree of 

state involvement with the organization at issue. 

[T]he application of the FOIA beyond traditional 

governmental entities is limited to statutorily defined 

public bodies, which are only those entities supported by 

public funds. . . . We previously recognized in Weston that 

the FOIA is ineffectual if it does not extend to such bodies, 

explaining that when an entity receives public funds en 

masse or manages the expenditure of public funds, "the 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

only way that the public can determine with specificity 

how those funds were spent is through access to the 

records and affairs of the organization receiving and 

spending the funds." If public bodies were not subject to 

the FOIA, governmental bodies could subvert the FOIA 

by funneling State funds to nonprofit corporations so that 

those corporations could act, outside the public's view, as 

proxies for the State. . . . 

. . . . The dissent would read the FOIA as applying to a 

private organization that receives even a negligible 

amount of public funding for a discrete purpose. We made 

clear in Weston that the FOIA only applies to private 

entities who receive government funds en masse. The 

FOIA would not apply to a private entity that receives 

public funds for a specific purpose. For example, the 

FOIA would not apply to a private organization that 

receives public funds to operate a childcare center or 

healthcare clinic. However, the FOIA does apply to any 

private organization that is generally supported by public 

funds. 

Id. at 433, 454–56, 746 S.E.2d at 340–41 (citations omitted) (quoting Weston, 303 

S.C. at 404, 401 S.E.2d at 165).16 

16 This interpretation of the reach of the FOIA was one of the dividing lines between 

the majority opinion and the dissent. 

The clear language of the statute, we said 

in Weston, mandates that an organization receiving public 

funds in even one transaction is a "public body" for 

purposes of FOIA requirements, and construing the statute 

to reach only governmental or quasi-governmental 

organizations would "obliterate both the intent and the 

clear meaning of the statutory definition." Thus, the 

statute may reach an otherwise private organization that 

receives even a negligible amount of public funding for a 

discrete purpose. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our supreme court returned again to this issue in DomainsNewMedia.com. 

There, the court dealt with accommodations tax revenues used to fund marketing 

ventures by a local chamber of commerce. See DomainsNewMedia.com, 423 S.C. 

at 298, 814 S.E.2d at 514–15. The court found that a literal interpretation of the 

FOIA could lead to the conclusion that the transfer of tax proceeds to the chamber 

of commerce was enough to open the chamber's records. Id. at 304, 814 S.E.2d at 

518. At the same time, though, the court focused on the fact that portions of the 

pieces of legislation setting up the system "provide a specific and comprehensive 

approach for the receipt, expenditure, and oversight of these funds." Id. The court 

held: 

Moreover, even in the absence of a specific statute, this 

[c]ourt has recognized that the applicability of FOIA to a 

non-governmental entity is more involved than 

classification as a public body due to the receipt of public 

funds. 

. . . . [In Weston, the supreme court] rejected the suggestion 

that the mere receipt or expenditure of public funds 

automatically and categorically transformed an otherwise 

private entity into a public body triggering the full panoply 

of FOIA requirements. We made clear that the mere 

receipt or expenditure of public funds did not mean "that 

the FOIA would apply to business enterprises that receive 

payment from public bodies in return for supplying 

specific goods or services on an arms[-]length basis." . . . 

. Significantly, in that case, there was not a statute or 

proviso governing the procedure and oversight for the 

expenditure of the specific funds at issue or mandating the 

public reporting and accountability as exists with respect 

to [the funds at issue in DomainsNewMedia.com]. 

Disabato, 404 S.C. at 460, 746 S.E.2d at 343 (quoting Weston, 303 S.C. at 403, 401 

S.E.2d at 164) (Pleicones, J., concurring in part and dissenting in part) (footnote 

omitted). Justice Pleicones added later that the law "applies solely by virtue of the 

fact that the organization has received public funds, regardless of any relationship 

between the organization's publicly and privately funded activities." Id. at 464, 746 

S.E.2d at 345. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here, as noted, there is a specific statute (or proviso) that 

directs the local governments to select a DMO17 to manage 

the expenditure of certain tourism funds and requires the 

governments to maintain oversight and responsibility of 

the funds by approving the proposed budget and receiving 

an accounting from the DMO. Thus, this is not the 

situation found in Weston wherein the funds were intended 

to be given to a public body and, instead, were diverted to 

a private organization to be spent without oversight. 

Through [the relevant legislation] there are accountability 

measures in place[,] and the public has access to 

information regarding how the funds are spent. Therefore, 

the concern in Weston regarding the lack of a legislatively 

sanctioned process mandating oversight, reporting, and 

accountability is not present in the expenditure of these 

funds. 

Id. at 304–06, 814 S.E.2d at 518–19 (citations omitted) (quoting Weston, 303 S.C. 

at 404, 401 S.E.2d at 165). Justice Few dissented, arguing that the Weston court 

"applied that plain language [of the FOIA] to transactions that are factually 

indistinguishable from the Chamber's receipt and expenditure of accommodations 

sales tax revenues in this case[] and held the FOIA applies." Id. at 311, 814 S.E.2d 

at 521 (Few, J., dissenting). Additionally, Justice Few argued that the limiting 

principle in Weston "was never intended to create any additional requirement—or a 

"more involved" analysis—to determine the applicability of the FOIA." Id. at 311, 

814 S.E.2d at 522. 

The DomainsNewMedia.com decision was handed down May 23, 2018— 

before the circuit court decided this case, but days after the governor approved the 

legislation making the Fund permanent. 

II. STATUS OF THE FUND (Davis's Issues I–V) 

Davis's first five issues—the core of the case—can all be reasonably reduced 

to one overarching question: Is the Fund a public body for the purposes of the FOIA? 

The issues of the meaning of the term "public body"; whether tax revenues support 

the Fund; and the correct interpretation of our supreme court's ruling in 

DomainsNewMedia.com are all focused on this threshold question. We also do not 

"DMO" stands for the designated marketing organization. 

DomainsNewMedia.com, 423 S.C. at 298, 814 S.E.2d at 515. 

17 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and should not go beyond answering that question in our consideration of the Fund's 

operations. Because of the unique structure of the Fund, this is a close call. 

However, we find that the Fund is not a public body for the purposes of the state's 

FOIA. 

The parties have devoted a great deal of energy to arguing over the meaning 

of Weston, Disabato, and DomainsNewMedia.com. All three decisions are, of 

course, relevant. However, we must consider that DomainsNewMedia.com is the 

most recent of the three cases decided by our supreme court, and we can hardly 

contravene the most recent precedent. See S.C. CONST. art. V, § 9 ("The decisions 

of the Supreme Court shall bind the Court of Appeals as precedents."); State v. 

Cheeks, 400 S.C. 329, 342, 733 S.E.2d 611, 618 (Ct. App. 2012) ("[T]his court lacks 

the authority to rule against prior published precedent from our supreme court, but 

is bound by the decisions of the supreme court."), aff'd as modified, 408 S.C. 198, 

758 S.E.2d 715 (2014). 

Our inquiry cannot proceed as though there are not significant factual 

distinctions between the chamber of commerce in DomainsNewMedia.com and the 

Fund. There clearly are. For example, there is no indication in 

DomainsNewMedia.com that state government had a cooperative role in 

administering the chamber of commerce's marketing program. The chamber of 

commerce in that case was not set up by the General Assembly and had been around 

for decades when the marketing program was set up. See 423 S.C. at 298, 814 S.E.2d 

at 515. To our knowledge, local chambers do not have access to the state's online 

credit card system, do not have state employees answering the phone, and usually 

cannot count on promotion from state agencies on social media. Finally, a chamber 

of commerce carries out other activities beyond distributing public dollars. Here, 

the Fund's major purpose is deciding who receives scholarships indirectly supported 

by the state. After all, our supreme court said in its conclusion in 

DomainsNewMedia.com that "the General Assembly enacted the more narrow and 

targeted [accommodations tax] statute . . . to provide what it determined were the 

necessary accountability safeguards with regard to the expenditure of these specific 

funds while simultaneously protecting the private nature of the organizations 

selected to perform this marketing function." Id. at 307, 814 S.E.2d at 519 (emphasis 

added). 

Nor can we ignore how closely the structure of the Fund resembles a concern 

our supreme court raised in Disabato. See 404 S.C. at 455, 746 S.E.2d at 340 ("If 

public bodies were not subject to the FOIA, governmental bodies could subvert the 

FOIA by funneling State funds to nonprofit corporations so that those corporations 

could act, outside the public's view, as proxies for the State. . . ." (emphasis added)). 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is hard to see how the Fund is not a nonprofit corporation acting as a proxy for the 

state; that seems to be its entire reason for existing. At least one of our sister courts 

in another state has found that its state's requirement that a public body be one that 

is "receiving or expending and supported in whole or in part by public funds" could 

be fulfilled under similar—though not precisely analogous—circumstances. See 

Associated Press v. Sebelius, 78 P.3d 486, 491–92 (Kan. Ct. App. 2003) (holding 

that a volunteer "team" set up by the governor-elect was not a public body for other 

reasons, but first finding the public funding requirement satisfied when "there were 

12 state employees assigned to" the team, and "state employees continued to receive 

their salary while assisting [the team]"). 

Nonetheless, we hold that, under DomainsNewMedia.com, the Fund is not a 

public body for the purposes of the FOIA. The support that the Fund receives in the 

form of likely fleeting assistance from state officials and use of the state fundraising 

platform is de minimis rather than the diversion of "a block of public funds . . . en 

masse" or "the management of the expenditure of public funds." Weston, 303 S.C. 

at 404, 401 S.E.2d at 165. See also Disabato, 404 S.C. at 454–55, 746 S.E.2d at 340 

("[T]he application of the FOIA beyond traditional governmental entities is limited 

to statutorily defined public bodies, which are only those entities supported by public 

funds."); id. at 456, 736 S.E.2d at 341 ("[T]he FOIA does not apply to a recipient of 

public funds as a condition of the receipt of the funds. Rather, the general support 

of an entity through public funds brings it within the class of entities to which the 

FOIA applies."). Furthermore, the legislation creating the Fund includes a reporting 

and accountability mechanism not unlike the measures considered relevant by the 

DomainsNewMedia.com court.18 See 423 S.C. at 304, 814 S.E.2d 518 (noting 

statutes that "provide a specific and comprehensive approach for the receipt, 

expenditure, and oversight of these funds," and stating those "play the lead role in 

our disposition of this case"). See also Wilder v. S.C. State Highway Dep't, 228 S.C. 

448, 454, 90 S.E.2d 635, 638 (1955) ("It is well settled that where there is a statute 

dealing with a subject in general terms and another statute dealing with a part of the 

same subject in a more minute and definite way, the special statute will be considered 

as an exception to, or qualification of, the general statute and given effect."). Finally, 

the Fund is at least technically independent of the state. See Disabato, 404 S.C. at 

18 See S.C. Code Ann. § 12-6-3790(B)(5) (Supp. 2022) (requiring annual reports on 

the Fund's operations, including "the number and total amount of grants issued to 

eligible schools in each year" and "a copy of a compilation, review, or audit of the 

fund's financial statements, conducted by a certified public accounting firm"). 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

454–55, 746 S.E.2d at 340 (limiting the reach of FOIA "beyond traditional 

governmental entities"). 

Even if we were to hold that the Fund is a public body under the FOIA, that 

would not require the Fund to release many or perhaps most of its documents. The 

Legislature has been clear on that: 

Information contained in or produced from a tax return, 

document, or magnetically or electronically stored data 

utilized by the Department of Revenue or the public 

charity in the exercise of its duties as provided in this 

section must remain confidential and is exempt from 

disclosure pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act. 

Personally identifiable information, as described in the 

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and individual 

health records, or the medical or wellness needs of 

children applying for or receiving grants must remain 

confidential and is not subject to disclosure pursuant to the 

Freedom of Information Act. 

S.C. Code Ann. § 12-6-3790(B)(4) (Supp. 2022). We must interpret this statute as 

it comes to us, and the plain meaning prevails. 

That does not mean that the status of the Fund would be an academic point. 

Rather, there is at least one aspect of Davis's challenge that would be unaffected by 

this: whether the Fund's meetings must be at least partially open to the public. 

We categorically disagree with the circuit court's conclusion that the meetings 

of a public body "can be closed meetings" if aspects of the discussion at those 

meetings—even all aspects—are exempt from the FOIA. That is not what FOIA 

says. See S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-60 (2007) ("Every meeting of all public bodies 

shall be open to the public unless closed pursuant to Section 30-4-70 of this chapter." 

(emphasis added)). Instead, the General Assembly has provided that certain issues 

may be discussed in closed session. See § 30-4-70(a) (listing reasons that may justify 

executive sessions). And the FOIA lays out a procedure for going into executive 

session that requires a public vote to do so and prohibits a vote in executive session 

to take action. See S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-70(b) (2007) ("No action may be taken 

in executive session except to (a) adjourn or (b) return to public session. The 

members of a public body may not commit the public body to a course of action by 

a polling of members in executive session."). 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In any event, we need not address that issue directly, because under our 

precedents, the Fund is not a public body for the purposes of the FOIA. That 

outcome is dictated by the majority opinion in DomainsNewMedia.com because (1) 

the legislative enactment discussed in that opinion is similar enough in nature to the 

legislative enactment concerning the Fund in the present case in that both have 

independent reporting and accountability requirements, which was a key factor in 

the majority's analysis in DomainsNewMedia.com; and (2) the legislative enactment 

concerning the Fund expressly states that the funds are not public funds. The 

occasional and relatively minor activities undertaken by the Department's employees 

do not represent the en masse diversion of state resources required by 

DomainsNewMedia.com to hold otherwise. 

Davis contends that this line of analysis is wrong. He notes that "the South 

Carolina Attorney General's Office has . . . specifically conclud[ed] that there exists 

no 'de minimis' exception to [FOIA's] applicability for public funding which is 

indirect or insignificant." We respect the Attorney General's Office and its work, 

but we need not determine whether it has endorsed a de minimis exception, because 

our supreme court has. See DomainsNewMedia.com, 423 S.C. at 305, 814 S.E.2d at 

518 (holding that the Weston court "rejected the suggestion that the mere receipt or 

expenditure of public funds automatically and categorically transformed an 

otherwise private entity into a public body triggering the full panoply of FOIA 

requirements"). 

Additionally, Davis argues that the scholarship dollars at issue here are public 

money. We disagree. Davis's sole authority for this contention is an opinion of the 

Attorney General's Office characterizing the funds as public. However, one of the 

cases cited in that opinion stands for the opposite proposition; the quoted 

parenthetical from that case, Elliott v. McNair, refers to a portion of the court's ruling 

laying out the view that our supreme court was rejecting. See 250 S.C. 75, 90, 156 

S.E.2d 421, 429 (1967) (quoting a Florida Supreme Court case as a "leading" 

example of "decisions contrary to the view hereinbefore expressed"). Considering 

the status of industrial revenue bonds used to help a manufacturing project and paid 

off by a manufacturer, our supreme court distinguished those funds from public 

funds. See id. ("It is our view, however, that the money which will be received by 

the [c]ounty [b]oard in this case is impressed with a trust that it be used for the 

purpose for which it was obtained, the construction of a project, for which reason 

the money does not become public money whose expenditure would otherwise be 

confined to the general public good."). Likewise, the private funds contributed to 

the Fund are used for specified purposes—the scholarships—and would not become 

public funds even if they were directly held by the Department or an indisputably 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

public body. The other authorities cited by the Attorney General's opinion are an 

appeals court decision from Arizona, a South Carolina statutory provision 

concerning funds of the Department of Commerce, and a quote from American 

Jurisprudence that appears to be outdated.19 

We emphasize that this court has not been called upon to evaluate any other 

policy or legal aspect of the Fund's establishment or structure. While we offer no 

opinion on those questions, they would in some cases present more difficult 

considerations. We are instead answering the far narrower issue presented to us: 

Whether, under the current circumstances, the Fund is a public body for the purposes 

of the FOIA. Given our precedents, it is not. 

III. EFFECT OF THE ACT 

A related question is Davis's contention that the circuit court erred in using 

the Act to interpret the General Assembly's original intent in the proviso. We do not 

need to address this issue, because Davis abandoned it on appeal. 

Davis cites no legal authority for his argument that the circuit court could not 

consider a subsequent act of the General Assembly as clarifying the intent of the 

budget provisos. The only citations of any kind are to the record and to the act itself. 

IV. 'BELT AND SUSPENDER' ARGUMENT 

Davis argues that the Act is "nothing more than a restatement of FOIA 

exemptions," and thus should be read as a "belt and suspender" provision. Davis 

abandoned this argument on appeal, but it has no merit in any event. 

Again, Davis cites no authority to support his argument that the General 

Assembly intended nothing more than a reiteration of current law. Even so, without 

some cursory evidence, interpreting the statute this way would run contrary to our 

canons of statutory construction. See Centex Int'l, Inc. v. S.C. Dep't of Revenue, 406 

S.C. 132, 139, 750 S.E.2d 65, 69 (2013) ("The cardinal rule 

of statutory interpretation is to ascertain and effectuate the intention of the 

legislature." (quoting Sloan v. Hardee, 371 S.C. 495, 498, 640 S.E.2d 457, 459 

19 We also believe it is possible that Davis abandoned this argument in his reply 

brief, where he states: "Respondent also wants to rely upon its belief that the 

scholarship funds distributed are not public funds. That finding is not necessary as 

it is irrelevant." (emphasis added). 
 

 

(2007)); id. at 145, 750 S.E.2d at 72 (noting that "the legislature is presumed to be 

aware of prior legislation and does not perform futile acts"). 

CONCLUSION 

For the foregoing reasons, the circuit court's order is AFFIRMED. 

MCDONALD, J., and LOCKEMY, A.J., concur.