INVESTIGATION ONGOING, EVEN IF BUZZ ISN’T …
|| By FITSNEWS || After building to a crescendo last month, the buzz at the S.C. State House regarding a joint federal-state investigation into legislative corruption has all but evaporated.
Indictments once seen as imminent are now barely discussed … while the U.S. Attorney’s office in South Carolina (one of the agencies responsible for conducting the investigation) appears to be searching for new leadership. Also S.C. attorney general Alan Wilson – whose office is also conducting the “probe” – is facing growing skepticism from reformers who cheered him on in 2014 as he helped bring down former Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell on ethics charges.
To be clear we haven’t criticized Wilson … yet … we’ve simply pointed out his work isn’t done.
S.C. Reps. Brian White and Bill Sandifer, for example, having glaring ethical issues (HERE and HERE) requiring attention … and of course there’s plenty of unfinished business hanging out there related to governor Nikki Haley.
There’s also judicial election scandals aplenty … multi-million dollar boondoggles tied to influential Congressmen … and a rigged 2012 election in Richland County that deprived taxpayers there of $1.2 billion.
Scandal is in abundant supply, in other words … but there’s been (and continues to be) a glaring shortage of accountability.
What gives? Is the indictment of Harrell really the end of the road for South Carolina’s anti-corruption cops? And were all those reports of another “Lost Trust” – a reference to the 1990 investigation that brought down seventeen corrupt legislators – nothing but ill-founded rumors?
Reformers are crestfallen … but ready to redouble their efforts.
“As long as we kept pressure up, they had to act. We were in their face – and offices – constantly,” one well-placed anti-corruption leader told FITS. “Now we trust them to finish it and they backtrack. Not good. And fair or not, it’ll ultimately be on Alan (Wilson). If White and Sandifer and others get a pass, he’ll lose credibility.”
Indeed …
“If Alan doesn’t want to do it, others might just step up,” the leader added. “Don’t care who – but someone needs to finish the job.”
Damn …
FITS can confirm that – as of this writing – the probe is ongoing. Investigators continue to gather evidence, interview witnesses and actively seek criminal indictments against those who broke the law. And yes, sources close to the investigation tell us multiple state lawmakers remain in the crosshairs.
Unfortunately the current focus of the investigation – at least to the extent we can divine it – is more on the cabal of consultants who went after Wilson (ostensibly at Harrell’s behest) than it is on exposing rampant misdeeds in the legislative branch.
How come? According to our sources, “it’s personal.”
“You gotta remember these people – they went after his wife,” a source close to Wilson tells FITS, referring to hospital executive and former television reporter Jennifer Miskewicz Wilson. “They are dead to him.”
Specifically, we’re told this facet of the probe is exploring alleged cash payments made to various consultants from the Palmetto Leadership Council – a political action committee (PAC) affiliated with Harrell. This money is said to have subsidized a vast character assassination operation aimed at discrediting Wilson – who ultimately permitted solicitor David Pascoe to take the lead in investigating Harrell.
Look, we’re glad Wilson is pursuing this line of inquiry. If illegal payments were made from Harrell’s PAC … to anyone … then the individuals responsible should pay the price for their actions.
What can’t happen, though?
We’ll spell it out for you (and him): Wilson cannot, cannot, cannot, cannot round up a bunch of low-level wanna-be political operatives (who oh-by-the-way did a ridiculously ham-fisted job of trying to smear the A.G. and his wife) … and call it a day.
Indictments of pretend players on charges related to a failed personal vendetta … those are all well and good … but successfully pursuing and prosecuting them does not a “victory over corruption” secure.
Someone needs to finish the job …
19 comments
So like the claim that USC would have to VACATE CWS wins and you SWORE PROOF of your Haley filthy scandal…The HARD DRIVE has now gone LIMP…AGAIN..
.Nice “Journalism”…I’m sure the USC J-School is champing to invite you back to share your EXPERTISE in ACCURATE news reporting to their eager young and doltish, leftwing Beavers…(Sadly, USC probably is)…
They are likely raising money (or tuition) to endow a chair for Brian Williams, sitting in Danny Rather’s lap….with FITS kneeling before them…Hahahaha..
Impotency. FITS Motto…Impotency….LMAO…..!!!!
Big T – the Gamecock fan that, when he opens his mouth, all other Gamecocks fans are immediately embarrassed.
No, it’s only you Self-Hating Liberals who suck the D!*k of the people who hate you…and Bash the people you CLAIM to be on the side of…
Self-Loathing is a constant trait of the leftwing…It’s why you will refuse to offend brutal, terrorist baby-killers — but you HATE Christians and Americans who believe in the US Constitution.
I don’t hate myself. I’m not a liberal. I suck no d!*ks of people who hate me. If I were gay, I would stick to the d!*ks of people who liked me, so I could continue the relationship and perhaps get my d!*c sucked.
I don’t loathe myself – I love myself and what I can do to help others and to protect the environment. I will offend every baby-killer and terrorist if I ever have the misfortune of crossing their path, probably with gunplay. I’m a Christian (Lutheran) and I believe in the entire Constitution, not just with the parts with which I agree.
You are one dumb, pathetic bastard. But you are the blog’s piñata. Huge and oafish, an easy target even for the blindfolded. But unlike the pinata, filled normally with treats, you are full of nothing but shit.
But we still like to beat you anyway. It’s too damn easy, and we love the thumping sound that it makes.
Probably my favorite take-down of GT, ever. Wish I’d written it.
Could not have said it better myself. Bravo.
Why is it you cower from what you are…when called on it???….
I saw you over the weekend. You are one ugly mother fucker.
Even if true (and not part of your delusional ignorance)…ALL physical attributes will fade one day, but the Spirit is eternal.
And what is hideous, is envy-driven hatred and a corrupt soul that allows you to believe you are entitled to all you covet, based on your greed….
It may be a good idea to quit fixating on the material….to peer within, and maybe ask God for forgiveness and some grace.
“who oh-by-the-way did a ridiculously ham-fisted job of trying to smear the A.G. and his wife”
They should have hired Sic Willie for this. Its his stock and trade.
If Wilson won’t do it, then the FBI probably will do it.
The Feds are a lot more than just the local boys.
The FBI is run from Washington, and Washington is still under the control of Obama and the Democrats. Sorry, GOP, the House and Senate do not give you control: even if you think so. And Haley can, and should be, fully exposed by the Democrat directed FBI for the crook that she really is. Long before she becomes the GOP’s latest Presidential failure.
Per Yogi Berra: “It’s never over, till it’s over.”
They need to be using a big concrete vibrator for their probe
I apparently missed something…how did they manage to drag the Mrs into this?
is she a Pollack?
I understand that Ed Givens will be awarded a Grammy for his perforances with the Grand Grand Jury and investigators. The bitch snitch sang like a cockatoo.
Oh please, please, please let the feds be after Nikki Haley – would make my day!!
Congrats, Bill Nettles! It appears you have successfully protected your mentor Jean Hoefer Toal. Pathetic!
Wilson is wrapped up in felony conduct, ok????
And yet another guarantee made by anonymous sources is prepared for burial…even though we are assured ..by the same anonymous sources..that the big takedown will still occur…any day now…and day.
So how many of these lock down assurances have we read the last few years. None of which have ever turned out anywhere near what we were “promised”.
Sadly, the sycophants and jock sniffers posting on here their routine yips of approval, all the while trying to emulate the speech patterns and fabricated macho-ness that passes for literary style on this site, will never get to see the results they dream about every night in their tin-foil hatted slumber.