Editorial: Mayor's big-hearted bad judgment

Mayor John Tecklenburg should have known better than to loan himself without court permission $80,000 from accounts he controlled as conservator for an elderly former neighbor. Probate Judge Irvin Condon was right to remove Mr. Tecklenburg from the conservatorship after his violation of state law.

Mishandling Johnnie Wineglass’ finances showed the job should have been done by a professional. The mayor, a real estate agent by trade, said he did not know he needed court permission to loan himself the money.

“I think you meant well, but we can’t set a precedent of self-dealing,” the judge told Mr. Tecklenburg on Tuesday. Mr. Condon’s remark about “self-dealing” particularly stung Mr. Tecklenburg and could have an impact on his professional life.

The mayor agreed to become the woman’s conservator in 2008 — for free — when she started losing her memory and became unable to manage her money. He took out loans of $20,000 in 2011 and $35,000 in 2014 to benefit his wife’s gift shop, which was later sold; a third loan of $25,000 was taken out in 2016 to help him cover living expenses as he transitioned into the job of mayor. All the loans were repaid on time, with 5 percent interest, including an additional $877.22.

Mr. Tecklenburg also used $25,000 of the woman’s money to buy an Edisto Island tax sale property in 2011 and then sold it back to the original owner, yielding a $3,000 profit for her. Special conservators appointed by the court called it a risky move with the potential of leaving the woman with property that could have been difficult to convert into cash to pay her bills.

In the end, no harm was done to Ms. Wineglass’ finances. And by all accounts, Mr. Tecklenburg took on the job out of the goodness of his heart. But he should have sought legal advice about lending himself money. It was a case of big-hearted bad judgment.

In his official capacity, we expect the mayor to be more careful. Mr. Tecklenburg is the leader of the state’s largest city and plays a major role in how it brings in and spends its funds. It’s critical that the public have confidence in his judgment as well as his ability to handle money and follow the law. He will need to work hard to earn back any confidence lost as a result of this episode.

A report prepared for the judge by the special conservators recommended Mr. Tecklenburg continue to manage the woman’s money, as did two of her goddaughters. But Judge Condon was right to remove the mayor from the job. Violating the law is reason enough, even if no harm was done. Being mayor affords Mr. Tecklenburg no special consideration, and the judge would be expected to handle similar cases in the same manner.

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Editorial: Mayor's big-hearted bad judgment