|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The South Carolina Republican Party (SCGOP)’s political director has been arrested and charged with third degree assault and battery by mob, according to jail records in Horry County, S.C.
Twenty-two-year-old Braylee Estep of Conway, S.C. was booked at the J. Reuben Long detention center on that charge shortly after midnight on Wednesday (January 3, 2024). Her arrest comes less than two months before the pivotal “First in the South” GOP presidential primary.
News of Estep’s arrest was first reported by Dennis Bright of WBTW TV-13 (CBS – Florence/ Myrtle Beach, S.C.).
As of this writing, no details about the charges have been released … all we know is Estep was arrested by officers of the Conway, S.C. police department late Tuesday evening and booked at approximately 12:13 a.m. EST Wednesday morning. Estep was reportedly released on Wednesday afternoon on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond.
***
Sources familiar with the situation told this media outlet Estep’s arrest stemmed from a December 2023 incident involving an alleged assault of her mother, 53-year-old Michele Stalvey Estep. Michele Estep was booked at approximately 7:43 p.m. EDT on Tuesday (January 2, 2024) at the same detention center, although no charge is yet listed accompanying her booking information.
The December 2023 incident which led to these arrests reportedly took place at a Conway bar owned by Estep’s family.
“Her mom got into a fight – Braylee and another bar worker defended her mom – police were called and statements were taken,” a source familiar with the incident told us.
It is not immediately clear if anyone else associated with the melee had been incarcerated. According to our sources, Estep and her mother planned on pressing charges against the other individual(s) involved in the bar incident.
Estep is a graduate of the University of South Carolina who began working with the party in 2018 as an intern, according to her official party biography. During the 2022 election cycle, she worked in Georgia as a regional Republican coordinator for governor Brian Kemp and for U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker.
Last year, Estep moved back to South Carolina and has been involved in the precinct reorganization process in the Palmetto State’s seventh congressional district.
“Braylee is driven by connecting votes through grassroots outreach,” her bio noted.
Estep is a native of Conway, graduate of Conway High School and has previously worked at her family’s small business, Stalvey’s Bait and Tackle.
As with anyone accused of committing any crime, Estep is considered innocent until proven guilty by our criminal justice system – or until such time as she may wish to enter some form of allocution in connection with a plea agreement with prosecutors related to any of the charges that may be filed against her.
This is a developing story … please check back for updates.
***
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 and before that he was a bass guitarist and dive bar bouncer. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven (soon to be eight) children.
***
WANNA SOUND OFF?
Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to proactively address? We have an open microphone policy here at FITSNews! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.
14 comments
Another drunk violent MAGA goon.
The GQP sure does attract violent criminals.
Remember when the GQP pretended to be the ‘law and order’ party? Now they are the party of domestic terrorism and lawless violence.
You have some nerve to call any Republican VIOLENT when democrats, BLM, Antifa “Goons” destroyed cities and building and police vehicles as well as private vehicles and private businesses in their “peaceful” protests during the Career Criminal George Floyd’s death. Dems like you aren’t dumb, you are just STUPID and brainwashed by morons like Presidential Press Secretary “Buckwheat” and our “deplorable” president Lyin’ Biden.
Why does pointing out the truth of MAGAs history of domestic terrorism and violence (like this family of violent MAGA criminals) trigger conservative dipshits?
Thanks for proving my point, with a heaping helping of racism, no less! (bonus points for triggering a maga pedo who’s screen name is in ALL CAPS!!!)
Please contain your anger and don’t go beat any women…like the violent criminal who runs this blog…
At least she is willing to fight, A lady after my own heart.
Too bad Luke Rankin wasn’t arrested for not keeping his oath to uphold The Constitution.
Thank goodness you can’t get arrested for that, there’d be none of us left!
Hold on a second…a 22 yr old is the political director of the SCGOP?? Is the talent bench that shallow?
Why would they need depth? It’s just a bunch of robot Maga Cult members who are going to vote the way they are told is bad for black and brown people. Trump can get them to do anything he wants, including vote for him as dictator for life. They are just that dumb. So there is no need for depth. Just keep playing the race cards.
This is a common story across the country in places where MAGA nutters attempt to run things. Local parties losing money and going bankrupt, fist fights amongst members, sexual infidelities left and right, fraud and other financial crimes, small town governments unable to perform their most basic of duties and just total disarray.
No wonder Putin put so much money into these incompetent boobs. Wherever they have any power they end up ruining everything and bringing things to a stand still. Giving aid to our enemies abroad.
The MAGA machine will take anyone, as long as they are dumb, belligerent, incompetent and violently angry.
Her family having a bar where they can all get drunk and worked up is just a plus ;-)
Yeah. MAGA is only concerned about getting likes and views on social media (not realizing how many of those are hate/laugh at views).
That’s why they can’t get votes IRL.
Unfortunately, this young grifter and her horrible parents couldn’t keep the violent behavior at bay long enough to cash in or avoid J Rueben Long.
Oh well, it’s like I say…
I believe the Dems 2024 strategy is working–Just let the GQP show their true colors.
Man if it’s one thing Republicans have Democrats beat on, its organized violence against people they don’t like! Hope the bar didn’t have to have to professionally clean their walls after this one! ?
Bless their hearts.