COLUMBIA --- The man running a longshot Democratic campaign against South Carolina GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham was on his county Republican Party's roster until just before he won his primary election this month.
Bob Conley, 42, an engineer from North Myrtle Beach, had acknowledged past involvement in the Republican Party, including an ill-fated run for the Indiana Legislature in 2000.
In May, during his primary campaign, Mr. Conley told The Associated Press that he had voted for Republican Ron Paul in the January presidential primary but had walked away from the GOP in 2000 or 2001.
"And it was because of trade, it was because of immigration, it was because of the sellout of the American worker and the sellout of American sovereignty for the benefit of the multinational corporations," he said. "I walked away and said that party can go to the devil."
But Mr. Conley didn't leave the GOP when he claimed he did. Party officials in Horry County said Friday that Mr. Conley won a spot on the county Republican Party's executive committee, representing a North Myrtle Beach precinct, in February 2007.
Conley campaign vice chairman Lee Griggs said Mr. Conley left the GOP about eight years ago to become involved with the Reform Party. He came back to the GOP to advocate for Mr. Paul's campaign and resigned his local GOP position this February.
"To my understanding, he was not a member of the Republican Party," Mr. Griggs said.
Republicans where Mr. Conley lives say they found out that he planned to take on Mr. Graham, one of the Republican Party's most well-known national standard-bearers, shortly before the June 10 primary. North Myrtle Beach GOP Club president Cleo Steele said Mr. Conley was removed from his executive committee post within the past month. Mr. Conley's name remained on the Horry County GOP's Web site as an executive committee member Friday morning.
Robert Rabon, the county party's chairman, said Mr. Conley technically left the GOP when he paid filing fees as a Democrat. Those papers include a pledge that the person running is indeed a Democrat.
"That's a way of resignation," said Mr. Rabon, who accused Mr. Conley of "grandstanding to get some media attention."
Mr. Conley's candidacy and party affiliations are now an issue for Democrats.
Waring Howe, a Democratic National Committee member and superdelegate, said Mr. Conley's recent GOP ties should have been fully disclosed. He needs "to be very forthright and open with the voters whose trust he sought," Mr. Howe said.
"He's going to have to show a greater effort to appeal to the Democratic base and raise funds and show general seriousness for Democrats to line up behind him in any serious way."
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