For the first time in its history, the American Civil Liberties Union has voted to take over one of its state affiliates, reports The New York Times.

The organization voted to take over management of the South Carolina affiliate, which has been plagued by poor management. Its last executive director stole money; it has relied on the financial support of the national organization; and its board is marked by tension.

Some people allege that other ACLU affiliates are also in bad shape but that the South Carolina branch is being unfairly singled out for its criticism of the national organization.

The branch’s representative on the national board, David F. Kennison, fought with Anthony D. Romero, the national organization’s executive director. Furthermore, it was the only affiliate that attached its name to a Web site that is highly critical of the national ACLU, based in New York.

Robert B. Remar, vice president of the ACLU and a lawyer in Atlanta, defended the national group’s decision to supervise the South Carolina affiliate. He said, “South Carolina as a state has a tremendous amount of civil-liberties challenges, and our goal is to make sure there is a strong and viable affiliate to deal with those issues.”

Neil Caesar, president of the South Carolina affiliate’s board, said, “I believe this will truly be harmful to the ACLU and how it is perceived in the state by both our friends and our enemies.”

Previously, two other local affiliates in Texas and Mississippi have agreed to voluntary control by the national ACLU.

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