FORMER “MAJORITY” LEADER, ATTORNEY GENERAL UNDER FIRE
|| By FITSNEWS || It was a terrible weekend for former S.C. “majority” leader Jimmy Merrill (above) and state attorney general Alan Wilson.
According to a story published by reporter John Monk of The (Columbia, S.C.) State newspaper, Merrill is one of several state lawmakers referenced in a heavily redacted S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) report on legislative corruption.
Meanwhile Wilson is facing fresh allegations that his “investigation” of this corruption isn’t exactly on the level.
Surprised?
You shouldn’t be if you’ve been following our coverage of this ongoing mess …
“The probe” – exclusively unearthed by this website last September – brought down former S.C. Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell last October. The powerful legislative leader resigned his office after pleading guilty to six ethics violations – receiving three years of probation, hefty fines and a ban on seeking office for the duration of his punishment.
Harrell also agreed to cooperate with prosecutors as their investigations moved forward … well, to the extent the investigation has moved forward.
Merrill was one of the lawmakers we mentioned in the aftermath of the Harrell resignation. He’s also closely affiliated with the politicos rumored to be at the heart of Wilson’s latest recusal from the probe.
“At least some of the members under the probe’s microscope are affiliated with the neo-Confederate political empire of Richard Quinn and Associates – which manages the political destinies of numerous state lawmakers and elected officials, including Wilson,” we wrote last month.
Monk’s piece is the first mainstream media treatment of the growing discontentment with Wilson’s conflicted pursuit of “justice” in this case. Specifically, it questions why Wilson waited ten months to have SLED turn over its redacted report to S.C. first circuit solicitor David Pascoe – who has been tasked with investigating those corruption cases in which Wilson has a conflict.
Wilson’s office told Monk that SLED needed that time to conduct “additional investigation” into allegations against lawmakers, although it’s not immediately clear what the agency was looking into – or why so much time was needed.
The “probe” is rumored to focus on four main areas: 1) The misuse of campaign funds by members, 2) The abuse of public offices for personal gain, 3) Vote-trading (or vote-selling) tied to various judicial elections and 4) The activities of various legislative political action committees – or PACs used by powerful lawmakers to keep rank-and-file members in line.
Where do things go from here?
Good question.
Some sources say the “probe” is effectively over – that no further indictments are likely to be handed down against any elected officials. Other sources insist we’re looking at another “Lost Trust,” referring to the 1990 investigation that brought down seventeen corrupt legislators.
We believe the truth is probably somewhere in between …
One thing is clear, though: Despite his protestations to the contrary, Wilson’s credibility as a prosecutor of public corruption is at an all-time low. In fact, it’s looking increasingly as though his dogged pursuit of Harrell last year – while necessary and justified – may have been less about accountability and more about clearing an upward path for his political cronies.
Even though many of them may have been guilty of far more egregious violations than anything Harrell ever did …
We hope that’s not true, but with each new revelation about Wilson’s recusals and delays … the worse he looks in all of this.
56 comments
Take your shirt off,Kirkman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KJkMTS8pYE
Any probe of corrupt Republicans is not on the level, if there are any Republicans left after it is over, because calling someone a Republican and Corrupt is wholly redundant.
Is that you Jack Lindsay…???
No it is me and I am GAY! I am getting ready to break a story that is BIG!
Better be careful…
Boz already stupidly lead The Sun News into a libel case that cost them more than $6000,000. And FITNews is the target in a libel lawsuit, too.
If you walk around with a scandal a day, calling them ALL crooks – like most paranoid FITS Nutjobs – you better be able to back it up.
My posts are already being deleted about Boz Martin’s apparently libelous allegations in regards to Mark Kelley:
Boz Martin-April 2012
Can you spell RICO, Tom? Because your role in that “Grand Scam” has reportedly not been ignored in the ongoing the fed probe – along with that of a certain CCU/MBACC lobbyist and real estate associate tied to the clearly-related world-wide pushing of a certain “service” here locally providing “distressed hotel asset relief.”
Kelley was apparently the ‘CCU/MBACC lobbyist and real estate associate’ Martin was referring to.
Do just read the same book over and over when you’re taking a crap.
Rocky’s drunk!!!!
Nobody is deleting your redundant posts, you paranoid maniac.
There goes Leon’s bid for mayor.
Merrill wanted Harrell’s job because Harrell had a nice pipeline going from the state treasury to Lowcountry businessmen and developers. It was slushing out dollars like nobody’s business. I hope this investigation gets going and shines a light on what was happening. Limehouse better watch out too. That guy has been caught doing dirty things but has never been nailed for it.
They should call it “Operation No Trust Left To Lose.”
^^^ My best and truest comment ever! ;)
You Democrats do NOTHING BUT investigate, investigate, investigate Republicans, along with a very one-sided media.
But not much comes from all the money and time you spend trying to indict people who repeatedly kick your incompetent asses in the public voting polls.
The same could be said about – Ben-Ga-Ziiiiiiiiii!!!!!!
Four dead bodies – that Obama-Clinton sent over there, is not “NOTHING TO SHOW.” Dumbass.
243 dead boddies Reagan sent over there is Nothing to Show – Dumb@ss. 5,000 dead bodies that Bush sent over there is Nothing to Show – Dumbass. Awe, little Tango’s feelings are hurt. Wittle baby.
Rocky’s drunk!
God these things itch
Congress – Clinton and Kerry – sent them over there, Dumbass. Take a history lesson, if you are too stupid to know the facts.
Nope Bush sent them with Cheney and you know it. Deflecting or blaming it on the GOP COngress at the time is hollow. The authorization was predicated on all other avenues persued, which never happened. Your dumb party owns that legacy, and even your own precious Trump places the blame squarely on Bush and Cheney. Why do you hate Trump?
Hillary Clinton said that her advisors had come to the same conclusions as the ones that were presented by the Bush Administration, as articulated with visual aids by Colin Powell. Her own experts. Kerry agreed that it was valid. Congress went along. Bush was to blame, but he was not the only one to blame. Get real.
Not a Democrat, as you well know.
Wonder why it is, though, that Democrats like Toal, Nettles, Clyburn, Harpootlian, Talon, Sheheen, Branham, et. al. are so much in support of all those RINOs that are the subjects of investigations in this state. Why is it that these Dems support those “Republicans”, and some of them actively keep the investigations from really turning up anything.
You may well know the answer, pogo. But you are set on keeping the game going, and continuing to pretend that in this state there is no real difference between the Repubs and the Dems that are in charge.
Not a Democrat, as you well know.
Wonder why it is, though, that Democrats like Toal, Nettles, Clyburn, Harpootlian, Talon, Sheheen, Branham, Holliday, Brittain, Chapman, Wendel, et. al. are so much in support of all those RINOs that are the subjects of investigations in this state. Why is it that these Dems support those “Republicans”, and some of them actively keep the investigations from really turning up anything? (Yes, I include Nettles. Useless as teats on a boar hog, in rooting out corruption in this state, because — like Toal, with whom he is closely aligned — his sorry ass is eyeball-deep in it.)
You may well know the answer to the how and why of that, pogo. But you are set on keeping the game going, and continuing to pretend that in this state there is no real difference between the Repubs and the Dems that are in charge.
Either that, or you really are as fucking dumb and/or stupid and obsessed a troll as you appear to be.
Not ‘If Democrats held to account’-however of course you know that..
“Not a Democrat, as you well know.” You are?:
“As a life-long liberal Democrat”-Boz Martin
Columbia City Paper
The more you rant and rave about me, the more you erode your own credibility. And the more you build up the Buz/Boz/Buzzman Legend. One day, Sybil, this is going to pay off for me, bigtime.
Rant on. Rave on. Knock yourself out.
LMAO! Mom gonna buy ya cable? What a payoff!
Toal, Nettles, Clyburn, Harpootlian, Talon, Sheheen, Branham, Holliday, Brittain, Chapman, Wendel …
The actual Dems who support corrupt Republicans and shield them from prosecution in South Carolina. While you swat at a “fly” who left the Democratic Party two decades ago.
Flip is extra whiny about you this weekend. Did you kick his dog or something? It sure is funny to watch him get all bent out of shape over you.
I doubt pogo is upset.Mark Kelley? Who knows?
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The State newspaper called: They want their scoop back…
There were legislators and others mentioned in the report, and whose names subsequently redacted, simply because they were involved transactionally with the targets. They were at a meeting or on a phone call with those that have legal troubles but they had no involvement with illegal activities. Merrill and others were simply moving in the same spheres as those under investigations.
The 10 month wait was simply because it was evident there are no outstanding issues in the report that dealt with legality.
Reality and truth mean NOTHING to the FITSNews, Boz type conspiracy kooks, if a Republican is involved. Just ask Kenny Bingham or The Sun News.
You are right about Boz.Why in the fuck does Fits apparently tie himself to this clown? The ‘ conspiracy kooks’ in action! :
Boz Martin-April 2012
Can you spell RICO, Tom? Because your role in that “Grand Scam” has reportedly not been ignored in the ongoing the fed probe – along with that of a certain CCU/MBACC lobbyist and real estate associate tied to the clearly-related world-wide pushing of a certain “service” here locally providing “distressed hotel asset relief.”
I remember very well the look in your wife’s eyes when I discussed this kind of stuff with y’all at that event at Mt Olive church back in 2010. You managed to stay cool as a cucumber throughout, and your south end tool Mary Henry was kind of bug-eyed as she hung on every word, but I glanced at Mrs. Rice and she had a look of abject terror in her eyes.
And that was before I even heard the strong and persistent rumor that the two of you WERE there at the bank that day with your late friend & good old Shep “Where’s Shep?” Guyton that fateful day when the “clearing house” checks were cut.
Don’t worry. You can tell us if that last one is true or not. Unburden your soul. It will do it a world of good – even if it might not keep you and/or your cronies out of the slammer.
http://grandstranddaily.com/coast-director-blasts-council/
Isn’t Merrill’s firm running the Trump campaign? Wonder how much longer that will last, considering the cloud this casts over Merrill?
You really don’t think Donald Trump is going to let FitsNews and Boz ‘Operation No Trust Left to Lose’ Martin fuck his campaign up, do you?
FITSNews just better hope Boz does not do for FITSNews what he did for The Sun News.
Can you imagine what FITSNews would look like after The Donald go through w/ them. Now THAT would be funny to watch.
Merrill just joined Trump’s SC team about 2 weeks ago. Aside from that, SC’s corrupt government is best investigated by Federal Agents and a Federal prosecutor from outside the state. You will never get a fair and trustworthy investigation and prosecution with “locals” at any level.
Went to an adoption agency. They said, we can give you a boy that cries all the time and craps his pants. I looked at my wife and said – we’ll name him Tango. She looked at me and said, we’re leaving now.
Rocky’s drunk.
He’s been too busy to get drunk. He is building a meth lab, remember?
You sure you didn’t go to the abortion agency, and sell your baby’s parts to promote the Democrat Party’s infant butcher shops?
Jim Merrill is the prick that voted to change the state retirement system that hurt a lot of state employees, karma is a bitch and I hope he is prosecuted by someone who has the balls to do it.
You mean the retirement system that is about bankrupt? I am a retiree but you better pay attention to numbers. The system is in extreme distress and Merrill was one of many that voted to shore the system up. If not it does not work you can count on the system shutting down to new members.
Loftis admits guilt. Yes… guilty.. of ethics violations … How many more violations will be coming soon.. Violations of the 529 funds, Violations of the many funds under the STO… Many violations of tax payers money… Many violations coming soon.
Have you noticed all of the corruption talk is about the House, not the Senate? And certain House members that were/are in important positions and that have stood up to the Senate?
Leatherman owns the Senate so he has no worries there, so he is taking out the one body and the its leaders that stand up to him and keep him from total ownership of SC.
He got Harrell and that threw the House into a weaker position as an institution. Now he is going after the members that refuse to bow to him. Merrill and others better get ready as Leatherman only wants one thing and that is total ownership of state government.
$9 Trillion stolen from the people, and crapped down the drain, dead ambassador w/ a cover-up, IRS, NSA, and classified documents illegally stored on a private, secret server – then she lied about it…
And you’re shitting your pants because this man’s name is in a report….while he happens to be guilty of being a Republican….
Yet Barack and Hillary walk free. What a Fucked Up country we live in.
And, yet, those 4000+ dead and maimed in Iraq and the gross personal corruption and ineptitude that caused it – while creating ISIS – don’t get a second thought from YOU and yours.
THAT’S a fucked up country for you.
Hurray – Tango’s here today. How do we know? Shitting pants thing again.
That’s right Alan. You just do what I tell you, and you can eventually have your nuts back, but for now they are mine.
if theres any truth to Alan Wilson playing favorites with any politicians, being tied to any corruption or playing any part in any type of prosecutional discretion to look the other way when significant fraud and public corruption is being carried out, any path in the political arena for Alan Wilson will go right out the window.
Taking advantage of being the Gate Keeper of the Judicial System already has the pile off complaints for public corruption up to their eyeballs in the AG office. people are already screaming for Community prosecutions where the AG Office and USA are turning a blind eye to their homeboys robbing the state blind.
South Carolina will go down as the state that forced the prosecutors to be subject to review boards. They will probably start with the lawyers… You can’t overlook frauds and public corruption in the ten of millions of dollars when its carried out by persons listed as top campaign contributors.
Comparing this scandal to Operation Lost Trust, is off the mark. Lost Trust was a sting, conducted by the FBI and the US Attorney. They went legislator by legislator, as identified by Rob Cobb and ultimately Bob Kohn. Eventually, the US Attorney’s Office shut down the sting, as they became concerned that it they kept running the sting, that so many members of the General Assembly would have been indicted and removed from office, that SC State government would have been paralyzed. It appeared then that everyone they offered, nearly, was willing to take a bribe.
As I understand this investigation, it revolves around criminal acts *already* committed, so no sting operation necessary. Don’t have to ask or encourage them to commit crimes, this new breed of cockroach shows up as a criminal on day one.
All of these corrupt bastards need to be taken down. With all of the information provided by Ed “Snitch” Givens, you’d think these crooks would have already been indicted.
Dig deep and you will find Lindsey Graham has been playing a hand in this recent development.
I read the State News story. I see nothing that supports he is “under fire.” Only that his name is mentioned in a 2 year old report.
You people do know that absolutely nothing further was going to take place after Harrell’s fall, don’t you? You people do know that Harrell has refused to point his fingers at anyone of his cronies, don’t you? You people do know that Harrell’s refusal to finger anyone is a PROBATION Violation, don’t you???
Every bit of this matter is nothing but one giant cesspool of lawless corruption. What about SC’s Chief Justice who rules from the bench with alcohol in her system?
Jahue Moore in Joe Wilson’s old law firm and great friend to Jean Toal is the one who has been keeping the Toal investigation on the back burner. Toal and Moore – mostly on behalf of Jakie Knotts – have traded political favors for 25 years. Both are dirty as they come – but Wilson has seen nothing wrong. Hmmmm.