Beth Bernstein, a Democratic challenger for House 78 in Northeast Columbia, and Republican Rep. Joan Brady are battling over Brady's absence from the House Ethics Committee meeting on Friday.

The meeting was called to consider reopening the ethics complaints against Gov. Nikki Haley. According to Bernstein, Brady was the only member of the six-person committee to miss the meeting.

"It is disturbing that Rep. Brady was the only member to miss such an important meeting. Why did she miss this meeting? Where was she? What was she doing?" Bernstein asked in a press release Monday.

"It concerns me that Rep. Brady would avoid her responsibilities as a legislator and member of this committee. I am worried that the people of House District 78 are not being represented with the integrity and loyalty they deserve and that is why I am in this race."

In fact, Brady explained her absence in a press release on Friday. Patch did not receive the release until late Monday afternoon.

It said an "unfortunate oversight" prevented Brady from receiving the invitation. It said she was not in Columbia, but at a previously scheduled speaking event for a national conference on Women in Municipal Government.

In the release, Ethics Committee Chairman Roland Smith said: "I deeply apologize to Rep. Brady for this unfortunate oversight. Today's Ethics Committee meeting was set on short notice and was scheduled outside the regular Legislative week - a very rare occurrence. It is my job to make sure every Committee Member is properly notified about meetings and I take full responsibility for this oversight."