‘Mistress-Gate’: Pulling The Threads

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by WILL FOLKS

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The floodgates have officially opened in the aftermath of our recent reporting on embattled South Carolina senator Matt Leber, who was publicly accused last week by his wife – a sitting Charleston County school board member – of having an affair with one of his paid campaign staffers.

The revelations surrounding Leber – which are now being picked up by mainstream media – have prompted all manner of fallout surrounding him, his wife (Michele Leber), his campaign finances, his personal finances and his connections to several other South Carolina elected officials and special interests.

There are multiple threads to pull… and FITSNews is pulling at each one of them.

Most notably, there has been intense focus on Leber’s alleged mistress – Rebecca Madsen. According to our sources, Madsen has worked closely in the past with Chris Slick – a veteran political operative previously aligned with the über-liberal, über-wealthy Palmetto State trial lawyer lobby. Slick was among the most vocal advocates for the trial lawyers during the recently concluded legislative session – and his proximity to Madsen has sparked serious concerns among several key members of this influential lobby.

In addition to Leber, another of Slick’s clients – embattled state senator and 2026 gubernatorial candidate Josh Kimbrell – has been linked to Madsen via Leber’s new political action committee.

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Leber and Kimbrell, incidentally, were among those “Republican” members of the S.C. Senate who surprised the chamber’s majority leader, Shane Massey, by siding with the trial lawyers during the 2025 battle over lawsuit reform. Massey thought he had the votes to pass an ambitious reform bill, but the rug was pulled out from under him by this clique of so-called “conservatives.”

One of the lawmakers who sided with the trial lawyers took to the floor of the Senate during the debate and claimed they were effectively trying to bribe senators… which, let’s face it, wasn’t far from the truth.

But were other inducements offered? Accepted? Leveraged?

Slick declined to comment for this article. As for Leber, he insisted his payments to Madsen were above board.

“Rebecca Madsen joined our campaign in 2024, bringing with her a strong background in political strategy, having contributed to both state and presidential campaigns,” Leber said. “Like many key members of a state-level operation, she wore several hats — serving as a campaign advisor, event and media coordinator, fundraiser, and volunteer field organizer.”

Several hats, eh?

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RELATED | ‘MISTRESS-GATE’: THE FALLOUT

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“She was compensated for her work in accordance with standard campaign practices and in full compliance with South Carolina Senate ethics guidelines,” Leber continued. “Her strategic support was professional, ethical, and consistent with the expectations of her role.”

Leber has not publicly addressed whether Madsen – whom he reportedly tapped as treasurer of his new political action committee – has been compensated in connection with her new role. In fact, it is not immediately clear whether Leber’s new PAC has submitted any paperwork at all related to monies raised or spent on its behalf. That’s one of many alleged campaign finance irregularities FITSNews is currently investigating related to the scandal-scarred first-term senator, who has been accused by his allies of questionable campaign finance disbursements.

Leber insists his PAC – which was formed on May 31, 2025 – “followed the guidance of both the State Ethics Commission and the Secretary of State’s office to ensure that all paperwork for the PAC is in order.”

“To date the only expenses incurred by the PAC have been for (its) launch event,” Leber added.

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The launch of Leber’s PAC was held on July 18, 2025 – and included an appearance by former S.C. lieutenant governor and U.S. Senate candidate André Bauer, along with endorsements from state senators JD Chaplin, Carlisle Kennedy, Josh Kimbrell, Everette Stubbs and Jeff Zell and state representative James Teeple.

Teeple has since issued a statement to FITSNews noting that he made “no endorsement” of Leber’s PAC.

“I was there but not involved,” Teeple said.

Leber refused to say whether Madsen was still the treasurer of his PAC (or employed by it) – or whether either of them had received or expended any funds related to it.

In addition to her proximity to multiple state lawmakers, Madsen has also been linked romantically to a key staffer in the office of S.C. attorney general Alan Wilson. That relationship was reportedly facilitated by Leber – who boasts of having a close relationship with the state’s top prosecutor.

Leber downplayed any attempt on his part to influence the attorney general.

“As a senator, I have numerous relationships within state government, and any introductions that I have made have been professional and not in any attempt to influence any actions by any state official,” he said in a statement provided to this media outlet.

Count on FITSNews to continue pulling at ALL of the myriad threads tied to this still-unfolding scandal…

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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 eight children.

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