More trouble for Indian-American Nikki Haley

In more trouble for Indian- American Mrs Nikki Haley, who hopes to become South Carolina’s first woman governor, a political lobbyist today claimed he had a tryst with the Republican candidate, who is already facing allegations of an extra-marital affair.

However, 38-year-old Mrs Haley’s campaign rejected it as “a false and outrageous desperate attack from a losing candidate’s paid campaign consultant in the final week of the race.”

Mr Larry Marchant, a familiar face at the South Carolina State House who has lobbied legislators on behalf of the insurance industry and the state Chamber of Commerce, said he had a “one night sexual relationship” with Mrs Haley at a school choice conference held in Salt Lake City, Utah in 2008.

However, he did not have any specific evidence to prove his point. He is the second individual to make such a claim, both of which has been dismissed by Mrs Haley’s campaign. In fact, her popularity rating has increased.
CNN reported that Mrs Haley’s campaign rejected Mr Marchant’s allegation as “a false and outrageous desperate attack from a losing candidate’s paid campaign consultant in the final week of the race.”

“As Mrs Nikki Haley rises in the polls, the good old boys in Columbia see their taxpayer-funded fraternity party coming crumbling down, and they will say or do anything to hold onto their power, Mrs Haley’s campaign manager Mr Tim Pearson was quoted as saying.

The 38-year-old mother of two, whose husband is a US Army reserves officer, has been hit by allegations that she had a “physical” relationship with commentator Mr Will Folks.

If elected, she would be the second governor of Indian origin in the US after Louisiana’s Mrs Bobby Jindal.
Meanwhile, the Republican Indian Committee has endorsed the candidature Mrs Nikki Haley.

Mrs Haley, whose parents hail from Amritsar in Punjab, is a current member of the South Carolina House of Representatives and is strongly backed by Republican heavyweight Miss Sarah Palin.

“In response to the overwhelming support and enthusiasm of Indian American Republicans nationwide, the Republican Indian Committee is proud to endorse one of our own, South Carolina state representative Mrs Nikki Haley, in the race for the Republican nomination for Governor of South Carolina,” the committee said in a statement.

It said Mrs Haley can lead her State back to economic prosperity and deliver accountability and transparency in state government.

“She just happens to be an Indian-American and so we are proud of her, said Mr Puneet Ahluwalia, its executive director.