Nikki Haley Gives 46 Percent of Salary to Charity

Nikki Haley may want to start calling herself "America's Most Charitable Governor."

South Carolina's top lawmaker and her husband donated some $130,000 to charity last year, almost half of their total earnings, according to their tax returns, which were reviewed by The State newspaper.

The Palmetto State Republican and Michael, her husband of 17 years, reported joint earnings of $284,226 in 2012. Their charitable giving came to just under 46 percent of their total income.

That includes $109,481 in profits from the sale of her 2012 memoir, "Can't Is Not an Option: My American Story."

Haley’s spokesman told The State that $120,000 of the charitable contribution went to the Original Six Foundation, which the governor founded in 2011 to help distressed South Carolina communities grow economically.

The remaining $10,000 was given to the Mount Horeb United Methodist Church, in Lexington. Nikki Haley is on the church's board.

This is the fourth consecutive year that Haley has allowed the media to look over her tax returns, the newspaper said..