SC

SC Superintendent Candidate Issues Statement On 2009 Arrest

This week a statement was submitted to FITS by the campaign of Gary Burgess, a Republican candidate for S.C. Superintendent of Education. It is in response to this 2014 post regarding the announcement of his candidacy, and makes reference to this 2009 post regarding a prior arrest. Below is the…

This week a statement was submitted to FITS by the campaign of Gary Burgess, a Republican candidate for S.C. Superintendent of Education. It is in response to this 2014 post regarding the announcement of his candidacy, and makes reference to this 2009 post regarding a prior arrest.

Below is the statement in its entirety:

Dr. Burgess realizes that some in the news media, his political enemies and the powerful elite in Columbia will play the politics of personal destruction regarding his candidacy, particularly as it relates to an unjustified arrest in April 2009, based on a non-credible charge as determined by a jury of his peers in August 2009. This matter was settled in the City Court of Anderson with the jury returning a not guilty verdict.

In 2009, a non-credible misdemeanor charge was filed against Dr. Burgess by the Anderson City Police Department. Knowing the charge was not credible the city prosecutor tried to pressure Dr. Burgess to plea to a lesser charge. In her own written words, in a correspondence one day before the trial, on August 20, 2009, she continued to try to persuade Dr. Burgess to plea to a lesser charge, “It remains our hope that Gary Burgess will take the offer of Pre-Trial Intervention. I really should have withdrawn that offer by now. But I want to give him the chance to do PTI and still have some sort of career options open to him after this is over. I really think the chances of acquittal are very slim and that even if he is acquitted the news media is going to report the details of what was said. He will never live that down. I would think it will haunt him forever.” This matter was settled in a court of law with Dr. Burgess winning.

The pressure from the city to get Dr. Burgess to plea bargain continued until minutes before the trial on August 21, 2009 (innocent citizens don’t bargain with city hall). Dr. Burgess never sought a plea deal, he never considered a plea deal and he refused to accept a plea bargain. He fought. After a trial that lasted a full day the jury saw the charge was not credible and returned an innocent verdict after deliberating for less than 20 minutes. In America a person is presumed innocent until a court of law says otherwise. Dr. Burgess was innocent before the charge, he was innocent once the charge was filed, he was declared innocent by the jury’s verdict- an innocent man was persecuted. This matter is settled.

We will run a positive campaign; however, the campaign is ready to play hardball when necessary. The United States Constitution should mean something. This matter was settled in court by a jury of Dr. Burgess’ peers. The jury concluded the charge was not credible. The jury was baffled as to why the charge was filed in the first place. This is a settled matter.

The children, teachers, parents, citizens and taxpayers of South Carolina need Dr. Burgess fighting for them– A man who will stand by his beliefs and convictions, not caving-in even when the odds appear to be against him.

Visit www.burgessforsc.org to make a donation and/or let us know how you will support this campaign.

Sincerely,

C. Sheree Swindler-Nelson
Volunteer Coordinator, Burgess For SC

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23 comments

GrandTango January 13, 2014 at 8:44 am

The last thing a self-described Republican needs is a public volunteer w/ a hyphenated last name.

Either keep your maiden name or take your husband’s or your father’s. Hyphenating names says something distinctive about you, like it or not. It is a sign that you are opposed to our traditions. Obama is attacking traditions on a daily basis. The last thing any Republican should want to do is be in any way similar to Obama, and his record of failure.

No charge for the campaign guidance. And you’d be smart to adhere.

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Sailor January 13, 2014 at 9:19 am

Advice from Grand Tango-Big T!!

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shifty henry January 13, 2014 at 9:49 am

Hyphenated last name — snobbish, uppity, and self-centered and that’s no matter who you are.

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GrandTango January 13, 2014 at 11:12 am

Rodham-Clinton…need I say more.

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Momma-Sucks-Tango January 13, 2014 at 12:11 pm

You tell’em Tango!! Traditions like hanging colored folks in trees.

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GrandTango January 13, 2014 at 1:29 pm

So typical liberal. You are so weak-minded you compare the crime of haning someone to the choice of naming oneself.
That’s how stupid you have to be to be a liberal…and sadly, their voters are so ignorant, it works for yall to some degree.

Fuck Grand-Tango January 13, 2014 at 11:38 am

Why do you give a fuck whether someone hyphens her name? Big T = Blubbering Turd.

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GrandTango January 13, 2014 at 1:27 pm

Words, and actions, have meaning. They need to factor that in…is all I’m saying.

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The Colonel January 13, 2014 at 8:56 am

”…OfficerL.B. Culbertson testified that Burgess rubbed his leg as the men spoke and
lifted his shorts, exposing the head of his penis. Burgess asked if the officer “liked oral” and whether he was “good at it,” then suggested the officer join him in his van, Culbertson said.

Smith argued that none of the events that occurred were illegal.

“Is it illegal to rub your leg? Is it illegal for two men to have a conversation about
sexual activity?”Smith asked the jury, which consisted of five women and one man…”

He doesn’t deny what he did, just that it wasn’t illegal – with his wife sitting by his side.

http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=4428&MediaType=1&Category=26

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shifty henry January 13, 2014 at 10:26 am

Quote from Lawyer Fletcher Smith (while playing with his package)–

“This verdict tells the world that Anderson is ready for the big leagues. This verdict will let the international business community know that the city of Anderson is ready to operate in the 21st century.”

Can anybody explain what this dumb-ass statement means?..!!!

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southmauldin January 13, 2014 at 11:58 am

Looks like Fletcher went to the Palin/Haley school of silly run-on sentences. I like the fact that he was eating a Happy Meal (!) and when arrested, he clung to a dogwood tree. Now that’s in-depth reporting.

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shifty henry January 13, 2014 at 12:45 pm

Shifty’s mistake — reading the article while drinking coffee … didn’t know I could spit that far!

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TontoBubbaGoldstein January 13, 2014 at 1:15 pm

Switch hitting is now a requirement in the “Big Leagues”?

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GrandTango January 13, 2014 at 11:13 am

Larry Sinclair, redeaux…wonder if the media will jump on this, like they did not in the Sinclair-Obama case.

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jimlewisowb January 13, 2014 at 9:13 am

“ready to play hardball when necessary”

After reading the Colonel’s comment it would appear your cockroach wannabe candidate has already been playing hardball

It may not be illegal in Anderson, South Carolina to “..lifted his shorts, exposing the head of his penis …” but if you try that shit at BOB’s on Friday around 4:30 there is a good chance you will end up sucking your own pecker.

Jesus, where do these dumb sons of bitches come from

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shifty henry January 13, 2014 at 9:44 am

Shifty is thinking that if this guy is elected as superintendent, then any boy (of any race) will be given a “free pass” on this sort of behavior in the schools.

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west_rhino January 13, 2014 at 9:20 am

SC polotics don’ like ni… um affikan-merikans an’ anythin to make ’em look bad, well

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The Colonel January 13, 2014 at 10:41 am

You have met Senator Scott right?

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shifty henry January 13, 2014 at 9:40 am

Shifty has observed over the years that many Negro men like to hold and play with their package while talking with other folks. Once, while my wife was with me, we met a well-known educated professional man who immediately started doing “his thang.” Later my wife commented that she thought that he was totally disgusting, and asked me why he did it. My response was that I didn’t know and wasn’t going to ask. She, being European and never being around Negroes until coming to South Carolina, has never liked them since that incident.

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Elfego January 13, 2014 at 10:34 am

So anything a Negro does is OK regardless?

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Freddy the Lobster January 13, 2014 at 11:34 am

Methinks thou doth protest too much.

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TontoBubbaGoldstein January 13, 2014 at 11:39 am

Why ..oh ..why doesn’t Dr Burgess just issue a statement that says:

“Wha’ ha’ happen’ was….I was foun’ innocent. Not Guilty, you crackers. Anyone who doesn’t vote for me is an ignert, racist, homophobe and can suck my big black dick!”

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euwe max January 14, 2014 at 3:24 pm

Enough from the clown!

Half a million dead, a million alive!

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