William Timmons Scandal: Greenville GOP Women Get The Goods

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The latest meeting of the Greenville County Republican Women’s Club (GCRWC) – held Thursday afternoon at the swanky Poinsett Club in downtown Greenville, South Carolina – featured your prototypical political guest speaker. Some guy in a suit. Spouting But it wasn’t the presentation of some “conservative influencer” in a suit bellowing platitudinal about American indispensability that had attendees buzzing at the conclusion of the gathering, it was a two-page handout left on the chairs of approximately two dozen members of the club.

One GCRWC member provided this media outlet with a copy of the handout, while another confirmed the document supplied to us was identical to the one left on her chair at the meeting.

What did the handout say?

Well, it related to the ongoing – and apparently escalating – ‘Days of our Congressman‘ soap opera involving South Carolina’s fourth district congressman William Timmons.

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To recap: Timmons initiated his own sex scandal last spring via a preemptive statement released to this media outlet. The statement addressed an alleged affair involving Timmons and his mistress, Paula Dhier. The goal of this on-the-record statement? Bringing the drama to light so he could torpedo his marriage, according to sources familiar with the situation.

Of course, Timmons soon got pissy when it became clear to him the story couldn’t be controlled – in large part thanks to the ongoing performance theater of Dhier’s estranged husband, Upstate real estate developer Ron Rallis.

Last July, Rallis walked into a West End Greenville church he previously purchased – and painted pink – and gave this news outlet an exclusive interview regarding his starring role in the Timmons’ sex scandal. When the interview was over, Rallis boarded his private jet and headed to the Hamptons … but not before doing several television interviews calling out Timmons for his infidelity.

Timmons was stung by the negative publicity, and it wasn’t long before the former Upstate prosecutor – who is well-connected with the Greenville County court system – enjoyed his revenge. Rallis recently served three months in jail on a criminal contempt charge in connection with his ongoing family court case with Dhier.

That’s right … three months. For trash-talking a thin-skinned congressman. In a state which routinely lets murderers free on bail. In a family court case being subsidized by the congressman, who hired for his wife Bruce Bannister, a powerful lawyer-legislator with tremendous influence over picking judges in the Palmetto State.

Starting to see the outlines of this thing now?

(Click to View)

Both Timmons and Dhier were married at the time of their extramarital dalliance. In fact, Dhier was best friends with Timmons’ wife, Sarah Timmons, and was literally living in their house when the affair kicked off.

Why do we care about a politician bumping uglies? We don’t … not until they self-publicize their scandals, anyway.

This story has taken so many bizarre twists and turns, though – and veered into so many unexpected directions – it’s become impossible to ignore. Not only that, in addition to legitimate questions about whether Timmons has run afoul of federal ethics laws in pursuing his various extracurriculars there is growing evidence of him improperly meddling in the family court case involving Rallis and Dhier.

Earlier this month, we reported that Timmons “reportedly sent threatening messages to Rallis in attempt to browbeat him into settling the family court case on terms favorable to Dhier.”

Last week, those reports were confirmed when Rallis posted one of the messages to his Instagram page.

According to screen caps of text messages shared by Rallis, Timmons sent him a document containing a list of the developer’s “interaction with law enforcement.” This document – which was not posted to Rallis’ account – reportedly contained a “rap sheet” which included jaywalking and skateboarding-related infractions.

“How would you like me to perceive this text?” Rallis responded.

“That will be considered at your trial,” Timmons answered, according to the screen cap of the exchange posted by Rallis. “As I have repeatedly said … evidence, facts, and law.”

“I cannot stress how much I believe y’all should work it out without a trial,” Timmons continued. “I do not think that you will like the outcome and it will be better for you if y’all come to an agreement. I am willing to help if you’d like to try.”

In the handout placed on chairs at the GCRWC meeting, additional documentation of Timmons' alleged interference in Rallis' family court case was provided - including his implied influence over the upcoming proceedings, further threats against Rallis and improper contact with a witness in the case.

Take a look ...

(Click to View)

(Via: Provided)

"You leave me the fuck alone," Timmons wrote in one of his messages to Rallis, referencing a proposed meeting related to the case.

"Trials are never fun. You won't like the outcome," Timmons wrote in another message. "It will be better if y'all come to an agreement."

In the same message, Timmons implied he would be providing the aforementioned information related to Rallis' "history of interaction with law enforcement and actual financials" to the court.

"It will not go well for you," he wrote to Rallis.

Rallis isn't the only one Timmons reached out to in connection with the case. In another message referenced by the document, he messaged a witness in the case offering to discuss "ways to manage an unreasonable subpoena."

Wait ... manage an unreasonable subpoena?

That sounds an awful lot like encouraging someone to lie to the court ... and last time I checked Timmons was an officer of the court.

(Click to View)

In the same message to the witness, Timmons attempted to clarify his prior interaction with her - which they (surprise) apparently perceived as unethical.

"I never asked you to do anything improper," Timmons wrote. "I did not do anything wrong. I want nothing to do with this. I only want my life back."

Timmons then proceeded to threaten the witness - vowing "action against you" in the event their allegations about his improper meddling in the case were to become public.

What in the world? What is Timmons thinking?

While the most obvious answer is that Timmons is motivated by his ongoing affair, he offered up another answer: Politics ...

"My motive is that I am running for reelection," Timmons wrote Rallis. "And your plan of attacking me and my family to somehow change the outcome of your child custody fight is going to go poorly."

Timmons is a third-term congressman from a fifth-generation, über-wealthy, über-influential family in Greenville, South Carolina. His great-grandfather – William R. Timmons Sr. – built an empire in the Upstate beginning in the mid-1920s, focusing on the real estate, trucking and insurance industries. The family – which helped establish the city’s civic and philanthropic communities – is reportedly worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

“All that money has failed to purchase class for many members of the current generation, however,” I noted recently.

These messages further confirm that assessment ... while further complicating Timmons' stated goal in all of this: Reelection. In fact, these messages should - at the very least - prompt an investigation by the S.C. supreme court's Office of Disciplinary Counsel (ODC) as to whether Timmons is violating his oath and his obligations as a practicing attorney in the Palmetto State.

Stay tuned for much more on this saga as Rallis, Dhier and Timmons continue careening to a family court trial scheduled for September 18, 2023.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR ...

Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven children.

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