HARRELL ALLIES ALLEGE “QUID PRO QUO” OFFER
Earlier this week, we published an exclusive report exposing controversial campaign finance tactics allegedly employed by the consulting empire of Richard Quinn and Associates (a.k.a. “the Quinndom“).
Today we’re delving into another alleged “Quinn-gate” – namely the white hot rumor floating around the S.C. State House that the powerful consulting firm improperly leveraged its relationship with S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson to exact political retribution in a legislative leadership squabble.
According to sources close to S.C. House Speaker Bobby Harrell – who is currently facing a grand jury investigation led by Wilson’s office – representatives of the “Quinndom” approached him earlier this year and offered him a deal.
What was the rumored quid pro quo?
Simple: Harrell would award a coveted slot on the powerful, budget-writing S.C. House ways and means committee to Rick Quinn, Jr. (the son of Quinndom patriarch Richard Quinn, Sr.) in exchange for the public corruption case against the Speaker disappearing.
“(Rick) Quinn put the hard sell on Harrell,” one lawmaker told us, referring to the battle for the ways and means committee assignment.
According to the lawmaker, Quinn was informed on Friday January 10 that he was not getting the ways and means committee position – that Harrell was instead awarding it to Democratic lawmaker Jimmy Bales.
Three days later, Wilson shocked Palmetto political observers (including the authors of this website) by sending Harrell’s case to the statewide grand jury.
Harrell has repeatedly decried Wilson’s decision as “politically motivated” – but he hasn’t elaborated on what that means.
Could this be it?
Hmmmm …
Before investing too heavily in this theory, a few key observations must be made: 1) As it relates to the allegations of corruption Wilson is investigating, Harrell is guilty as sin. We’ve said so repeatedly, and have been calling on him to resign for over a year. 2) More to the point: Despite an abundance of conspiracy theories, we’ve seen nothing whatsoever to suggest Wilson has mishandled this case – or had anyone leverage it (and by extension him) for political gain.
Those are two critical points to bear in mind …
In fact as far as we can tell the only thing causing Wilson headaches as it relates to his investigation of Harrell is his association with “the Quinndom.”
18 comments
I hope they both successful in crapping on each other.
We need a serious FBI/DOJ investigation. Of course, given their lackluster “efforts” in jailing members of the Columbia/Richland political machine or the Lexington Crime Ring, I won’t be holding my breath.
I agree!! The lexington ring was a gift wrapped case to law enforcement and they chose to and continue to nothing about them. Let that be your common citizen and they would invest their whole budget and resources to prosecute them.
— interesting that only a few days ago I researched the practice of tarring and feathering
Why don’t you go to the FBI, get it started, you are smart and write well, you know what your saying, Just Do It!!! We could use another ‘Operation Lost Trust.’
Believe me, I have given serious consideration to that, time and time, again. The problem is, given the corrupt atmosphere which has allowed the Lexington Crime Ring and the Richland/Columbia political machine to continue business as usual long after public exposure, I have educated fears that my identity would be leaked to the miscreants in short order and the wheels of retribution would begin to turn rather quickly after that.
It is a little easier (and safer) to sit here on the grassy knoll and throw turds, rocks, and brickbats, at the guilty, hoping to keep the pot stirred and eventual pressure brought to bear on them.
Wow, politics. I’m shocked, shocked to hear that Harrell has been involved in politics. Quinn should bring the KY next time, going in dry on Bobby hurt his widdle feewings.
This has Pootlian-FITS democrat-dirty politics written all over it..
When Democrats get their @$$#$ kicked on the ballot…you notice all the fight occurs in the rumor mills. FITS has called Tim Scott Gay, along w/ Graham..and he has tried to brand McConnell as a racist…He has even admonished Trey Gowdy, because Gowdy had the gall the lambast a corrupt Obama official.
Let the process play out. I D@*n sure trust the AG, who has defeated Obama again and again…to handle this legally. And I’ll let FITS and Pootlian’s track record speak for itself…
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HAW – HAW!! Max, you really keep on top of things. In the link, were you referring specifically the the “Animal Open House”?
fine detective work, grasshopper!
very good, Max, and I do have a top hat and will amuse folks with my sleight of hand performances (references upon request)…
Harrell’s office again, throwing out totalyl frivolous red herrings. Anything .. .and I mean absolutely “anything” in an attempt to avoid prison. That’s Harrell and his cronies that will go down the toilet with him.
We will start petitioning to bring a federal criminal investigation into Harrell’s office and the offices of his cronies. Its time.
Why wouldn’t that have come out at, say….the hearing before a judge where the topic was whether the AG was fit to oversee the grand jury investigation?
Seems to me that was the time and place to let that be known – if it were true. But it’s not.
Swindler Lexington lawyer Breibart gave heavily to Alan Wilson
Quinn also said, “Our campaign made this decision because the attorney general’s disclosure records for the past four years are receiving intense scrutiny.
The money that Breibart contributed to candidates came during the very years Breibart was stealing millions from some clients and taking sizeable fees from clients and failing to do work for others, according to a federal indictment in his case and local lawyers.
Breibart stole some $2.4 million from clients from November 2010 to June 1, 2012, when the Supreme Court suspended him suddenly and without explanation and his law firm shut down…
The earliest known case for which he took money and did little or no work dates from 2007, A full accounting of all the money Breibart stole from people has never been released by the S.C. Bar or the S.C. Supreme Court, is apparently still investigating his actions before it delivers a final sanction.
Earlier this month, U.S. Judge Margaret Seymour sentenced Breibart, 63, to five years in federal prison.
…”he gave more than $40,000 to politicians during that time. …Most candidates Breibart gave to won office.
Read more here: http://www.islandpacket.com/2014/03/26/3025215/swindler-lexington-lawyer-breibart.html#storylink=cpy
Quinn is so powerful that he “persuaded” the Dept. of Revenue to not shut down Richard Quinn & Associates, Inc., or to prosecute any employee for nonpayment of $150,000 in unpaid state payroll withholding taxes even after Quinn admitted in writing to the DOR that he was culpable / guilty. In most states, this crook would be in jail. I just hope he and Harrell scratch each others’ eyes out.