SC

Sources: Bobby Harrell Will Be Cleared

A report on S.C. House Speaker Bobby Harrell’s ethics case – currently in the hands of S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson – will not result in the empaneling of a grand jury for the purpose of prosecuting the powerful politician, multiple sources familiar with the inquiry tell FITS. Wilson –…

A report on S.C. House Speaker Bobby Harrell’s ethics case – currently in the hands of S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson – will not result in the empaneling of a grand jury for the purpose of prosecuting the powerful politician, multiple sources familiar with the inquiry tell FITS.

Wilson – whose office indicted former S.C. Lt. Gov. Ken Ard last month on campaign finance charges – will evidently not pursue the same remedy against Harrell (RINO-Charleston), who stands accused of a host of violations.

“He’s not going to be prosecuted,” one well-placed source in Wilson’s office told FITS, adding “in the criminal world it’s not what you think happened it’s what you can prove happened.”

Instead, Wilson’s office is likely to refer the case to the House Ethics Committee – the same entity which issued a hall pass to S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley despite clear and compelling evidence that she broke the law.

Why prosecute one politician and not the other? Easy: Harrell is powerful, Ard is not.

But distinction isn’t on Wilson’s office as much as it is on the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) – which was given this case nearly a year ago by the Attorney General and has apparently spent that time figuring out a way to absolve the Speaker despite his extensive misdeeds.

For starters he reimbursed himself more than $325,000 from his campaign account for dubious flight-related expenses (Harrell is a pilot). In fact he has effectively admitted his guilt by returning $23,000 of these reimbursements – although a proper accounting of his flight-related costs would require him to reimburse tens of thousands more.

Harrell also stands accused of applying improper pressure on the S.C. Pharmacy Board and the S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (SCLLR) on behalf of his pharmaceutical business – using his official letterhead, no less.

Oh, and his political action committee is also under scrutiny for allegedly misappropriating and misreporting funds – including an effort to force taxpayers to pay hundreds of millions of dollars on an unnecessary transportation project.

Of course Harrell’s abuses pale in comparison to those of Haley – who was caught red-handed illegally lobbying government officials on behalf of her employer (among other offenses).

This website has already called on Harrell to step down – not only because of the allegations against him, but because of how he chose to respond to them. First he lied and refused to release his records. Then he assassinated the character of one of the reporters investigating him – strong-arming her newspaper into backing down by allegedly threatening to withhold an annual $12 million bribe given by the S.C. General Assembly to the newspaper industry.

Again, though, Harrell’s retaliatory self-preservation efforts fall short of those employed by Haley – who threatened to take down lawmakers by exposing their dirty laundry if she was held accountable for her corruption.

Anyway, according to our sources, Wilson’s office will make the announcement regarding Harrell within the next few weeks.

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22 comments

Halfvast Conspirator December 10, 2013 at 10:23 am

Anyway, according to our sources, Wilson’s office will make the announcement regarding Harrell on Dec 24th, about 11PM, when everyone is paying close attention to this important matter.

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Smirks December 10, 2013 at 12:54 pm

Just in time for Santa to forgo the coal and just take a gigantic dump down his chimney instead.

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southmauldin December 10, 2013 at 10:39 am

Nobody is going to hold these pigs accountable. If you think Wilson has the balls to go after anyone in any position of power, you are sadly mistaken. He’s a bigger pussy than his old man.

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TontoBubbaGoldstein December 10, 2013 at 10:55 am

YOU LIE!!

/sarcasm

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WTF December 10, 2013 at 7:36 pm

Ah South mauldin, you know him very well!!!!

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Elfego December 10, 2013 at 10:43 am

The South Carolina Legislature is over run with this kind of crap.

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TontoBubbaGoldstein December 10, 2013 at 10:54 am

…in the criminal world it’s not what you think happened it’s what you can prove happened.”

Paging Dr Freud…. Paging Dr Freud….

Surely he meant “…in the legal world…” or “…under the rules the AG operates under…”?

Bwahahahahahahaha!

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SamAdams2010 December 10, 2013 at 11:15 am

Too proud to whitewash, too poor to paint has new meaning in South Carolina.
Its a great day in South Carolina.

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jimlewisowb December 10, 2013 at 11:44 am

“Bobby Harrell will be cleared”

Cockroach Harrell may not be indicted but he will never ever be in the clear

Karma will catch up to his sorry cockroach ass sooner or later

My vote is for 30,000 feet over the Atlantic, no debris, no pinging signals, no oil slick, nothing nadda

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CorruptionInColumbia December 10, 2013 at 12:42 pm

PLEASE, someone viable run against Alan Wilson, next year! This is but one more piece of evidence as to how crooked, useless, or both, that he is.

Surely someone will step up to run against him.

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Queen Jean December 10, 2013 at 1:32 pm

I am so happy things are working out for you, Bobby. I made the calls you asked me to do. I appreciate your securing a few more commitments for me, also.

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Dan on Divine December 10, 2013 at 10:10 pm

I also hear Toal is counting on Harrell to get her the necessary votes. However, it’s not going to happen. The Sheheens are politely backing off Toal and McConnell is getting nervous. Some of the lower level House members are so ready to get rid of her. The Todd Rutherford types who owe their law licenses to Toal have run it in the ground.

There’s nothing like nasty South Carolina politics to kick off the holidays and welcome the New Year!

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The Colonel December 11, 2013 at 5:46 am

Is the Sheheens a new Irish Trad group?

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Thou name art irony December 10, 2013 at 1:34 pm

In celebration, Harrell will be attending a “good governance” seminar hosted in the Cayman Islands…he’ll be flying there of course and saving the taxpayer money by using his own plane and only seeking reimbursement for his flying costs, the hotel, & per diem.

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L I'll Be December 10, 2013 at 1:52 pm

In other news, water is still wet

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Barbara G Winslow December 10, 2013 at 2:01 pm

I’d love to know how Harrell will get even richer from the completion of I-526. Chip Limehouse, too.

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Who Says Im Naive? December 10, 2013 at 3:36 pm

WOW!i though he was going to be prosecuted!

On another subject,who all is going to stay up late Christmas Eve to see Santa Claus land on their roof?

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Capt. Chucktown December 12, 2013 at 7:10 pm

I will stay up on the rooftop, come join me, I am in West Mauldin,
“‘Money Speaks.’ Bullshit rides the train.” Santa

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Hammerhead December 10, 2013 at 5:28 pm

Let me get this straight. ‘This website has already called on Harrell to step down’ and he has refused? Boy is he fucked.

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Brakes on take-off! December 11, 2013 at 7:23 am

Perhaps Bobby should hire Andre Bauer as his personal pilot. Solve two problems at once.

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Scrappy December 11, 2013 at 10:24 pm

Perfect timing for Harrell. Bet Mark Keel get’s the 65 SLED agents he asked for today. Harrell walks away unscathed after making sure it get’s through the house. Got to love SC politics!

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Now The Show Will Really Start December 13, 2013 at 1:12 am

We all predicted this. What do you expect when there is a very serious CONFLICT of INTEREST?? …. Next up, hehehe .. here come the feds and a federal class action lawsuit against this greasy PIG, Harrell!!

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