Opponent Of “Sexting Sheriff” Has Some Issues, Too

OLD DIVORCE FILING REVEALS SHOCKING ALLEGATION

South Carolina’s “sexting sheriff” apparently isn’t the only one with some serious skeletons in his closet …

It turns out the candidate currently running against scandal-scarred Laurens County, S.C. sheriff Ricky Chastain isn’t exactly a paragon of family values, either.

According to court documents obtained by this website, Chastain’s opponent in this spring’s “Republican” primary election – Donald E. Reynolds – went through an incredibly nasty and contentious divorce back in the mid-1980s.

Wait … what do we care about a three-decades-old divorce case?  We don’t.  Except there was an allegation made in connection with this case that we believe warrants attention …

Specifically, Reynolds’ ex-wife – Anne W. Reynolds – accused her ex-husband in a sworn affidavit of being “increasingly taken to the drinking of alcoholic beverages.” This love of the bottle allegedly rendered him “quarrelsome and irritable.”

Okay, nothing unusual there …

Reynolds’ affinity for the mass consumption of adult beverages allegedly lasted for “several  years,” during which time he is said to have become “physically and verbally abusive” towards his ex-wife.

Troubling?  Yes … but ordinarily this wouldn’t be enough for us to go and raise an issue from more than thirty years ago.

But here’s where the allegations contained in the affidavit become truly problematic for a candidate seeking an elected law enforcement office …

According to Reynolds’ ex-wife, in early November of 1985 she informed him that she had applied for a job in South Carolina – enabling her to remain in the state.

Reynolds didn’t want her to stick around, though.  At all.  In fact he took the news quite poorly, according to the affidavit.

(He) responded by pulling out his service revolver, pointing it at (his wife’s) head and telling her “if she didn’t get out of this State, he would kill her.”

Wow …

Did it work?  Yes.

“As a result, (Anne Reynolds) did not pursue the job in South Carolina and moved to Connecticut with (the couple’s) four children,” the affidavit stated.

Here’s a look at the document …

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Yeah …

Not only that, supplementary material contained in the court filings revealed Reynolds was delinquent in making child support payments on more than one occasion.

Take a look ….

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Hmmmmm …

Obviously Reynolds’ issues are very much in the past … and Chastain’s issues are very much in the present.  Does that make a difference?  Probably …

So … which candidate do we think Laurens County voters should choose as their sheriff?

Tough question.  Good thing no one’s got a gun to our heads …

 

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