PROBE INTO STATE HOUSE CORRUPTION UNRAVELS FURTHER …
The scandal surrounding S.C. attorney general Alan Wilson jumped to a higher energy level on Tuesday when the embattled politician appointed an ethically-challenged prosecutor from Richland County to oversee the anti-corruption investigation he seems hellbent on obstructing.
Wilson tapped S.C. fifth circuit solicitor Dan Johnson to manage the State House probe – one day after it was revealed Wilson’s office had been blocking a grand jury investigation requested by the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and by David Pascoe, the S.C. first circuit solicitor Wilson originally tapped to handle these cases.
Who is Johnson? This guy …
Yeah … yikes.
“The only worse decision would have been to appoint Donnie Myers,” one S.C. political insider told us, referring to the S.C. eleventh circuit solicitor who was recently forced to resign his office following an alcohol-related arrest.
Wilson removed Pascoe from the investigation just when it appeared as though several indictments of sitting members of the S.C. General Assembly were imminent. In fact indictments could have been handed down by now had Wilson agreed to swear in Pascoe’s prosecutors.
Instead he obstructed.
His intervention in the case – months after recusing himself due to undisclosed conflicts of interest – is widely perceived as a sop to powerful politicians in his immediate political orbit (a.k.a. the political stable of neo-Confederate consultant Richard Quinn).
We do not recognize Johnson’s authority over this investigation. In fact, even if he proceeds with indictments against some of the lawmakers reportedly under the microscope it could lead to serious problems regarding the integrity of the probe.
“From a legal perspective, if Johnson indicts there will be numerous issues,” one attorney told us. “If I was representing any of (the lawmakers) I would tie anything up with a massive amount of motions.”
Indeed … perhaps that was the point?
More to the point, we do not recognize Wilson’s authority in this matter.
Wilson abdicated his authority over this matter long ago – yet four months ago his office quietly released an advisory opinion (obtained exclusively by this website) in which he advised Pascoe that several angles of potential prosecution against sitting members of the S.C. General Assembly were unlikely to yield indictments.
That move finally began to draw the mainstream media’s attention to Wilson’s treachery … which is now on full display for everyone to see.
Well … almost everyone.
Exclusively unearthed by this website in September of 2014,”the probe” has already brought down powerful former S.C. Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell – who pleaded guilty to six ethics-related counts, resigned his office and got three years of probation. Now, however, it appears as though the prosecution of Harrell – which Wilson doggedly pursued (as this website cheered him on) – was less about accountability and more about moving Harrell out of the way so that his political allies could rise in the ranks.
“Once viewed as a crusader against public corruption, it’s now readily apparent Wilson has engaged in selective prosecution in an effort to benefit his political allies – many of whom are far more corrupt than the handful of politicians he’s prosecuted,” we wrote earlier this year.
That’s the reason this website has called for Wilson’s resignation or removal from office in the aftermath of this scandal.
UPDATE: Well, well … Johnson has told Wilson’s office he will not take over the case from Pascoe so long as “controversy exists as to whether your office has the ability to remove Solicitor Pascoe and appoint me.”
33 comments
Dan Johnson will abide by whatever his legal and political massa’s tell him.
I’m just curious. I know the people are probably powerless to do anything and probably don’t have a clue or care what’s going on. Who is supposed to mind this store? Are there no checks and balances anywhere or is everyone who would be in a position to do something involved?
Supreme Court SC will settle it, whether justly or not. Don’t know if there is a way to involve the Feds.
The latest:
http://www.postandcourier.com/assets/pdf/CP14631329.pdf
Is McIntosh heavily medicated? Even his signature looks fragil-e.
Needs a little something to “calm his nerves” and it probably wasn’t lunch time yet
He has crippled hands from fire-jumping decades ago.
So we’re clear: One of the reasons given for deposing Pascoe was Pascoe “attempted to usurp the authority to initiate a grand jury investigation when no such authority had been delegated to him.” However, at the end of this “assignment,” the AG vests Johnson with that exact power? How, then, could Pascoe have done anything wrong, when the AG’s office grants that authority to his “replacement?”
Obviously, Wilson & his cronies are grasping at straws for reasons why they have attempted to get rid of Pascoe, and none of them make much sense. What an awful abuse of power by the AG.
Don’t know how all this will unfold, but I DO know he will never be governor.
Yeah. He pretty much stuck a fork in that.
That is quite a headline.
Wilson (Joe or Allan take your pick) is a feckless, despicable individual. He definitely protecting his friends. He knows their payback helping him in the Governor’s race would be HUGE!!
Why doesn’t he just get Bobby Harrell to pursue the investigation and make recommendations? After all, he knows everything that has happened. That ought to work out well, better than this new guy!
Alan rebutted on Tuesday…well at least my pappy Joe was in
the know and wasn’t found to be lying
You know—he didn’t stab SC conservatives by sticking his
head up RINOs Boehner and Paul Ryan
And at least he said Hell no we won’t rip down the flag of patriots
by NOT letting YOU get to vote
And he didn’t give the most incompetent presiDENT in history
fast-track and try to make you a goat
Yep…he and mammy refused that taxpayer-PAID vacation to
Hawaii—their most modest move to date
And of course we KNOW you’ll be slow and reelect Joe and me
the next chance you get…NO…WAIT !!!
Mrs. Haley, take down that flag!
Yay!!!
flip got ripped when President Trump busted the Dimwit freeloader for SNAP fraud
His ingratitude for patriots got shoved up his nose–which was very broad !!!
Your traitor’s flag got ripped off the pole and no longer flies at the state house. Praise God!
flip came from a long line of freeloading ingrates who sadly thought freedom was free
Like his SNAP–Obama phone–and Section 8–he said–need someone to buy it for me !!!
The racist flag is gone, God bless South Carolina!
Senators Bright, Verdin and Peeler had the guts to honor
patriots and Southern heritage by voting to KEEP the flag
And there are 20 House members with steadfast loyalty whom
Tea WILL support and about whom we can brag
Those patriot House members are Bedingfield, Burns, Chumley,
Corley, Delleney, Hardee, Hill, Johnson and Kennedy
Then Loftis—Moss (both D.C. and V.S.), Nanney, Putnam,
Simrill, Spires, Stringer, Taylor, Thaylor—and let’s see
White makes twenty and that is plenty of reason to get out
and vote this year and beyond that let us just say
Legislators’ names YOU DON’T SEE HERE…let us make it crystal
clear…need to be UNELECTED on election day !!!
Who cares who honored it, it’s down, that’s all that matters. You guys can whine and cry but that symbol of racism won’t be flying over the state house grounds anymore! Hallelujah!
flip was so proud he said it out loud–it’s only black heritage that matters
And y’all be renewing my Section 8 and SNAP–just gotta fill those platters !!!
I say inherent to his recusal SCAG Wilson gave Solicitor Pascoe his authority SUO NOMINE to conduct the investigation and to seek a state grand jury if need be.
Dan “It’s a clean shoot” Johnson….perfect.
My experience/opinion is that Pascoe is the ethically challenged solicitor based on a case I took to Henry McMaster (another ethically challenged in my opinion) a while back.
Bullshit. Wilson is trying to protect Jackson and Quinn. How much you wanna bet Seawright and McBride are gonna take the fall? Seawright is a snitch. A certain buddy of his has pictures of that little snake meeting with Feds. I think we all know they weren’t talking about the weather. Even Clinton won’t touch their “consulting” firm anymore…
Notice how Nettles didn’t do anything to anyone when the evidence was clear of federal criminal violations?
Lets see…..stalking…harassment……gps wife car…..took money from Larry Pyle and Jeter for a land deal before….how long do I have to write on this thing…..the list is very long…..you have to be kidding me.
Editorial cartoon
http://www.thestate.com/opinion/editorial-cartoons/robert-ariail/article68806172.html
The TandD — Dan Johnson, however, told McIntosh in a letter that he will defer taking any action in the case while “controversy exists as to whether your office has the ability to remove Solicitor Pascoe and appoint me.”
Johnson stated that “substantive questions” have been raised as whether Wilson has the authority to make the appointment given that the attorney general had earlier recused himself from the corruption case. Johnson stated he will not step in until the state Supreme Court resolves the issue.
http://thetandd.com/news/local/new-prosecutor-named-in-probe/article_285f9f9a-eaaa-565d-b188-5b5f867a2a3d.html
Ohhhhhhh shit!
Do y’all think Wilson fired Pascoe because he’s trying to protect Legislators named in the SLED investigation? I think Rick Quinn and Darryl Jackson are done–they were both named in the SLED report. Either way, they should have left Bobby alone. Fuckers, we got you now.
Johnson is a worthless lazy f#$k from the time he worked under Barney Geise in the 1990’s. He also has a violent temperament and drinks frequently in the Vista. I wouldn’t put it past him that he has an alcohol problem.