AG SOURCE: “HE’S STILL GETTING OFF”
Last month this website published a report regarding the status of the ongoing investigation into powerful S.C. House Speaker Bobby Harrell – a wide-ranging probe into multiple alleged abuses.
In preparing that article, we spoke at length with well-placed sources in the S.C. Attorney General’s office, at the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and the law offices of various attorneys familiar with the proceedings.
Virtually every single one of our sources predicted Harrell would be cleared of wrongdoing … with most surmising that his case would be referred to the S .C. House Ethics Committee, a legislative panel which infamously whitewashed a 2012 ethics case against S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley.
Another scandal swept under the rug, right?
Not so fast …
This week the apple cart of expectations was upset thanks to a surprise decision by S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson – who chose to refer Harrell’s case not to the Speaker’s underlings in the S.C. House – but rather to a statewide grand jury.
Wilson’s move – which sent shockwaves across the Palmetto political landscape – seemed to indicate the AG/SLED investigation had uncovered evidence of criminal wrongdoing against Harrell. Moreover its timing – on the day before Harrell convenes the second regular session of the 120th S.C. General Assembly – seemed to be an effort to politically weaken the powerful Speaker. Then there was the highly publicized spat between Harrell and Wilson’s press offices over whether the Speaker was properly notified prior to the Attorney General announcing his decision.
Where is all of this political drama leading?
Nowhere, we’re told.
“He’s still getting off,” one well-placed source in the S.C. Attorney General’s office told FITS.
Our SLED sources confirmed that assessment, tell FITS that their probe – while uncovering several “actionable ethics violations” – did not reveal evidence of criminal intent on Harrell’s part.
Hmmmm … if this is true, then why is Wilson convening a grand jury?
Guess we’ll find out in two months … which we’re told is the investigators’ time frame for wrapping up this latest phase of the Harrell probe.
In the meantime what do you think? Vote in our poll and post your thoughts in our comments section below …
12 comments
Wilson is in a pickle. He is considered weak. He needed a notch in his belt. Harrell is in wrong place at the wrong time.
Wut? How would AG Wilson be considered weak? The surest sign that he was weak would be opposition for reelection. There is none and will most likely be none. He has a notch in his belt (Ken Ard). I’m all for hating which ever politician your little idiot heart desires, but let’s try to keep logic in the game somehow.
none of the incumbents will have serious republican apposition. That is a sign of nothing except that it is damed hard and expensive to beat an incumbent.
Teabaggers fighting, get the popcorn..
Haley and Wilson vs Harrell. Round 1 to Wilson and Haley..
Grand jury can indict a ham sandwich, right. For the rest of us common citizens its the truth. But, in case of prominent people its an ‘investigative instrument’ used to ‘probe each other’ to hearts content and then shake hands, make up and let go. It will ultimately be half-hearted exercise that will make news and political careers but nothing will come out of it by way of criminal action.
Ham Sandwich –> https://www.fitsnews.com/2014/01/13/alan-wilson-destiny/
This is the single largest accomplishment of the tea party in SC ever. The son (legally, not genetically, not that that matters but could arguably be the explanation of a show of courage his “father” never had) of the the biggest sell out the US house from SC has known in recent memory, refers the speaker to the grand jury. For once, unexpectedly, the power is returned to the people and Bobby is shitting his pants. Anyone who is innocent, welcomes a grand jury. Lets get his issue out of the “legislature controls everything so everything must be a conspiracy” ring and let the facts decide the case. Alan Wilson would never do this on his own. He saw the tea party writing on the wall, cover for the speaker, be painted as part of the machine (rightly so). The TP has turned the remorseless self interest that has characterized the SCGOP into a force for good! Harrell expects loyalty at your own expense and offers nothing in return because he expects this sort of unethical cover up as the cost of doing business. When Wilson saw that Harrell had hit his political ceiling and that this is what the TP was going to run with, he took the simple path, refer it to the grand jury. An innocent man invites scrutiny. Alan Wilson has no cohesive view of the world or compass setting ethos. The fact that Alan Wilson saw this as his only way out says more about the emerging state of the GOP than anything I have seen in a long time. We don’t need no water……
Senator Leatherman is behind this. He’s getting older and he knows it. This may be his last “big” session. He needs a compliant house and helpful Governor to ram through he “last big agenda.”
This affair has nothing to do with Harrell. It has everything to do with Leatherman, Haley and Wilson teaming up to loot the treasury for their benefit. Harrell was just in the way.
Haley hates Harrell and needs him weakened or gone and will help keep AG Wilson on Harrell’s ass (score one for Leatherman), A new speaker, likely from Leatherman’s Pee Dee region, will be helpful with the I 73 Interstate project other road building in which Leatherman is taking money from other parts of the state and giving to the Florence area and his friends. Also, never forget the new and expensive medical school in Florence which will divert money to the Florence.
Exactly. You are right on the point with this post.
All of Boobies bank records, phone records, legislative records, his insurance business records, credit card records, debit card records, basically everything – can all be subpoenaed. Then there is testimony under oath by pretty much so anyone who does business with him. This case can bring down the entire state house, And it rightfully should. This shit with Harrell has deep roots. Roots so deep, it runs right into the core of lobbyist, land developers, and those who have been ramming through the I-526 extension. 100s of criminals in his circle and network can fall and land in prison with him. So expect an army to come out to try and disrupt and taint a state grand jury investigation. This is why this corruption case is best place into the hands of federal investigators and a special federal prosecutor. People under the threat of losing their freedom, especially those like Harrell and his cronies, will do anything to escape punishment – even pay others off with huge sums of money to lie for them. Put nothing past these lawless thugs. They are like gangsters – white collar criminals.
Of course he will be exonerated. Not because of lack of evidence. But because his gangster buddies will circle around him and tamper and play with the grand jury. Keep the state out of this. Matters such as these are best handled by investigators and prosecutors from outside the state. That being “federal.” So you want to get him, then get the federal guys in on this. WAIT!!! I think they are watching him closely – have been. Even his friends are being watched. What? The NSA? Hmmmmmm?