Without a guilty plea for beating a woman, but with a Devil May Care attitude, RedState.com’s fearless editor, Erick Erickson, endeavoring to write about himself in the third person, though omniscient or limited is still up for grabs, will now proceed to dish out the dough and let the chips fall where they may in the whole sordid affair in South Carolina.

Only today did intrepid Erick Erickson get permission from sources to reveal a few key details about the Will Folks allegations. Though Erickson hinted, as sly editors do, that he had more information that would explain RedState’s full throated defense of Haley despite having been burned by a South Carolina politician before, Erickson was unable to delve into information he had.

Until today.

Rewind to exactly this time last year.

A campaign consultant for one of the campaigns for Governor of South Carolina began approaching groups that were viewed as likely to be influenced by Governor Mark Sanford. Why? Because South Carolina politicos knew Rep. Nikki Haley was viewed as Sanford’s choice to replace him.

This campaign consultant began informing groups that a blogger named Will Folks was peddling a story that he had a relationship with Rep. Haley.

Multiple sources in South Carolina confirm that the political consultant in question denied his campaign would be responsible when the story came out, but the consultant was also adamant that if Haley was in the lead before the primary, Folks would drop the story.

Fast forward to Monday of this week.

Many pundits, commentators, and the press were somewhat perplexed why Rep. Haley’s campaign would issue a flat out denial with no wiggle room whatsoever. Surely, some speculated to RedState’s intrepid Editor Erickson, had her campaign manager any doubt whatsoever, the campaign should have left some wiggle room in the story.

The campaign did not have to leave wiggle room. The campaign had known this was a possibility since this time last year. Knowing Folks had intentions of peddling the story explains why Rep. Haley’s campaign manager Tim Pearson handled Folks as he did in the text messages Folks dribbled out.

So who pushed Folks out? Was there money paid? Sources tell Erick Erickson that yes, despite Folks’s denial, money was paid to procure the story and guarantee it hit at the most opportune time — right before the primary.

Who did it? Well, you press people have had Will Folks string you along all week, reporting every salacious non-detail. So RedState.com’s fearless, intrepid Editor Erick Erickson is going to do exactly the same thing — at least for a couple more hours. You will have to tune in for the identity of the campaign trying to destroy Nikki Haley later today.

Oh, and to rule out any overwrought speculation, our fearless, intrepid, magnanimous, and gracious Editor Erick Erickson would like to inform you that you can stop with the “was it a Democrat” speculation. It was not a Democrat.