ALLEGATIONS HURLED AT PROSECUTOR …
S.C. first circuit solicitor David Pascoe is political hack with a “Napoleon complex,” a host of personal scandals lurking in his background and an axe to grind against the lawmakers he is rumored to be prosecuting.
That’s the narrative being advanced by sources close to the political empire of neo-Confederate “Republican” consultant Richard Quinn.
Quinn is a longtime advisor to S.C. attorney general Alan Wilson – whose political career imploded this year when he attempted to obstruct Pascoe’s investigation. He’s also the father of S.C. Rep. Rick Quinn, one of the lawmakers reportedly being probed in connection with corrupt business dealings at the S.C. State House.
Pascoe handled the 2014 prosecution of former S.C. Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell after Wilson was forced to recuse himself from the case. Last summer, Wilson recused himself a second time – citing undisclosed conflicts involving unnamed state lawmakers – and again designated Pascoe to oversee the investigation.
Apparently Wilson didn’t like where Pascoe’s probe led, though … leading to a public meltdown and a high-profile battle between him and Pascoe before the S.C. Supreme Court.
Pascoe won that battle – decisively.
Allegations of a personal nature – including rumored infidelity – have been hurled against Pascoe previously. In fact we’ve mentioned those allegations in passing in our reporting.
The latest twist? According to one Quinn ally, Pascoe is only pursuing his probe because he’s upset at the Quinns for allegedly attempting to recruit a candidate to run against him for solicitor.
“He is a narcissist with a Napoleon complex,” the source told us confidentially. “This is political payback of a personal nature, not the pursuit of justice. There is nothing to pursue because there is no injustice – which the facts will soon prove.”
The Quinn ally added that Pascoe is nothing but a “tool of (Dick) Harpootlian,” the veteran attorney and former S.C. Democratic party chairman who still wields extensive influence over Palmetto politics.
Sound familiar? This is the same narrative Wilson’s top political advisor, Adam Piper, attempted to convince “Republican” officials to advance earlier this year – to no avail.
Our source acknowledged the foolhardiness of Piper’s efforts.
“(The Quinns) had a very valid argument,” our source said. “They just didn’t stop to think about (how) they could best push it out there. So what wound up happening was (that) in making their case – they came off looking like the partisan ones, when the truth is Harpootlian has been driving the partisan angle from the beginning.”
Interesting …
Before our readers get too wrapped up in this sticky, earnestly-spun political web, there’s a key point worth remembering: Pascoe never sought out the authority to conduct this investigation.
He was handed that authority … by Wilson.
Wilson specifically designated Pascoe to handle the Harrell prosecution in 2014, and last year specifically designated him to advance the probe to other members of the S.C. General Assembly.
Also, when it comes to the source’s claim that “there is nothing to pursue,” it’s worth remembering that the presiding judge in this case – as well as the head of the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) – both agreed with Pascoe that sufficient evidence existed to warrant the convening of a grand jury.
Finally, neither Wilson nor the Quinns have produced a shred of evidence at this point to justify their contention that Pascoe’s investigation is “tainted” – either by Harpootlian’s political influence or any other motivation.
Is Pascoe a tall man? No. Is he having affairs? Possibly. But neither of those factors in any way impacts his investigation.
In other words, all of this speculation looks like another “swing and miss” for those seeking to undermine his recently-relaunched probe.