Four South Carolina counties suing the state election commission over next year's Republican presidential primary are offering a settlement.
CLINTON, S.C. (AP) -- Four South Carolina counties suing the state election commission over next year's Republican presidential primary are offering a settlement.
Documents obtained by The Associated Press show the offer sent Friday to state Republican leaders asks for the GOP to put $2.5 million in escrow to cover the counties' costs for the first-in-the-South presidential primary scheduled for Jan. 21.
State Republican Party executive director Matt Moore says the party can win the case and no settlement is needed.
Beaufort, Chester, Greenville and Spartanburg counties filed a lawsuit with the state Supreme Court last week saying they could be left to pay a large part of the tab for the primary.
The counties question the state's authority to run a primary they describe as a private event that would get taxpayer funding.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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