PROSECUTOR’S REMARKS WILL BE FOLLOWED CLOSELY
S.C. first circuit solicitor David Pascoe will address the Sertoma Club of Columbia, S.C. this week.
Pascoe is the prosecutor who oversaw the 2014 indictment of former S.C. Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell on ethics charges. Harrell wound up pleading guilty to six ethics violations and resigned his office – the first casualty of an ongoing federal-state probe of corruption within the S.C. General Assembly.
Unfortunately, Pascoe has not been as successful in bringing additional indictments against other sitting lawmakers.
Why not? Because S.C. attorney general Alan Wilson has been blocking his efforts.
Wilson – who has twice appointed Pascoe to oversee legislative prosecutions – blocked the empaneling of a grand jury in the State House corruption case in late March. Shortly thereafter Wilson fired Pascoe and attempted to replace him with a different prosecutor (one who declined to take the job). Wilson’s office then clumsy attempted to politicize the case – while Wilson himself angrily (and baselessly) attacked Pascoe’s integrity.
The S.C. Supreme Court recently heard arguments in this case – although as we noted shortly thereafter the court’s ruling shouldn’t impede the ongoing probe.
Which makes Wilson’s obstructionism all the more suspect …
So far Pascoe has declined to aggressively defend himself in the court of public opinion – choosing instead to let the law (and his legal arguments) speak for themselves.
Will that change during his address this week?
We doubt it … but Pascoe’s comments will be followed very closely by political observers (just as Wilson’s were followed very closely when he addressed this same group back in April).
For those of you interested in attending, the Sertoma Club of Columbia, S.C. meets on Mondays at 12:30 p.m. EDT at Dupre’s (300 Senate Street) – alongside the Congaree River in downtown Columbia, S.C.
UPDATE: We just received the following message from Joe Azar of the Columbia Sertoma Club: “(Pascoe) had to cancel due to his mother’s health in Richmond. We will try to reschedule him whenever he returns.” Obviously our thoughts and prayers go out to Pascoe’s mother. We’ll be sure to let our readers know when this event is rescheduled.