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by ANDY FANCHER
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A federal judge has granted disgraced former South Carolina lawmaker Robert John “RJ” May III‘s request to represent himself in his upcoming trial, calling it a “serious decision” but one he has a constitutional right to make.
May, once a leading conservative firebrand in the S.C. General Assembly, appeared in federal court on Thursday (September 4, 2025) wearing a striped jumpsuit marked ECDC — shorthand for the Edgefield County Detention Center, where he has spent much of his pretrial incarceration.
Noticeably absent from this hearing — unlike in earlier proceedings — was his wife, the mother of his two underage children. Also absent was any visible sign of family support in the courtroom.
As exclusively reported by FITSNews, May was arrested by federal authorities on June 11, 2025 — exactly one year after his decisive win in the 2024 GOP primary — and charged with 10 federal counts of distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to prosecutors, May sent more than 220 child pornography videos while campaigning for reelection last year. A 22-page motion (.pdf) filed by prosecutors alleges he distributed the material over a five-day span using the online alias “Joebidennnn69.”
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RELATED | POLITICAL TIES AND HARD DRIVES: THE FALL OF RJ MAY
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Given May’s controversial reputation and his foundational ties to the conservative S.C. Freedom Caucus, the case has become both a flashpoint for political weaponization – and the source of suspicions among allies that his phone was hacked by political enemies.
That argument was presented by defense attorney Dayne Phillips during May’s detention hearing on June 12, 2025, but the court rejected it – denying him bond and remanding him to custody pending the resolution of his case.
Now listed as a “high-profile” inmate, jail communications exclusively obtained by FITSNews showed May, in the early days of his incarceration, expressing interest in “pumping out some motions” — particularly to suppress evidence — even as he shopped for new attorneys.
Despite brief discussions with attorney Aimee Zmroczek and informal advice from civil lawyer and state representative Ryan McCabe, May ultimately settled on a federal public defender after claiming he could no longer afford private counsel.
Whatever arguments his appointed counsel, Jenny Smith, may have been preparing were complicated last month when federal authorities arrested Christian Soto, a traveling nurse from Oklahoma.
According to a federal complaint obtained by FITSNews, Soto — using the alias “randomcouplehere” — exchanged messages with “Joebidennnn69” and received at least 50 child pornography videos during a single online chat session last year.
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Within days of Soto’s arrest, May — suspended from the S.C. House since his federal indictment — resigned his District 88 seat, triggering a special election to fill the vacancy.
Come Thursday, May appeared for a requested status hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Cameron McGowan Currie, accompanied by Smith and co-counsel Jeremy Thompson.
Following a brief closed session, the former lawmaker and political consultant dismissed his attorneys after the court rejected his bid for “hybrid counsel” — an uncommon arrangement which allows defendants to act as their own lawyer while still retaining counsel in a limited role.
May’s push for self-representation triggered a Faretta hearing — a constitutional safeguard that comes into play when a federal defendant insists on going it alone. Currie pressed May to show that he fully understood not only the charges against him but also the risks of taking on his own defense.
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? RJ MAY TO REPRESENT HIMSELF IN FEDERAL TRIAL
— Andrew Fancher (@RealAndyFancher) September 4, 2025
? Columbia, S.C.
Disgraced former South Carolina lawmaker Robert “RJ” May is scheduled to stand trial in October without an attorney, after the court acknowledged that his decision to represent himself was made knowingly and… pic.twitter.com/986dhS0TkJ
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May answered in the affirmative on all counts after being warned of the many risks “inherent in proceeding” without counsel — including that he would receive no legal assistance at any stage of the case, from pretrial motions to jury selection to potential sentencing.
While May’s request was ultimately granted, the court appointed “standby counsel” — Smith and Thompson — to remain available for guidance during trial, particularly during jury selection, which Currie noted is “complicated, even for some attorneys.”
May, a political strategist with no legal background now acting as his own attorney, spoke more than usual during Thursday’s hearing and revealed he was “nearly complete” with a draft motion to suppress a federal search warrant executed at his residence last year.
As FITSNews exclusively reported, that warrant was carried out on August 5, 2024, by federal agents with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and state agents with the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division, resulting in the seizure of more than 30 electronic devices.
May’s intentions with his motion remain unclear, as earlier court hearings revealed that none of the devices seized from his home — which he had previously claimed contained more than 20 years of data — were found to contain any evidence of child pornography.
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RELATED | RJ MAY CLAIMS FORMER FREEDOM CAUCUS ALLIES OWE HIM THOUSANDS
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As a result of the new counsel arrangement, multiple search warrants were unsealed for May’s review on Thursday — including three pre-resident warrants issued by the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Matthews also referenced six additional federal search warrants issued after the August 5 raid on May’s house. He acknowledged May’s abrupt decision to represent himself creates a “logistical problem,” but emphasized that it was made “knowingly” and “voluntarily.”
Matthews further noted that prosecutors are preparing to call eight witnesses — and cautioned that some of their testimony “might be lengthy.”
Limited to occasional use of a jailhouse phone and a pay-per-message tablet, May is scheduled to be transported to Columbia’s federal courthouse on September 10, 2025, to personally deliver his motion to suppress.
Within the month, he is also expected to be transported to DHS to review discovery, proposed stipulations, jury charges and a verdict form — with additional deadlines looming ahead of jury selection on October 8. His trial is set to begin the following day.
Once at the zenith of a conservative faction within the S.C. State House — and a political strategist who had steered countless Republican candidates to victory — May now carries the burden of the most consequential representation of his life.
With nothing left to lose, May must now persuade a jury of his innocence – or face decades behind bars.
This story may be updated.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
(Dynal Nolan/FITSNews)
Andrew Fancher is a Lone Star Emmy award-winning journalist from Dallas, Texas. Cut from a bloodline of outlaws and lawmen alike, he was the first of his family to graduate college which was accomplished with honors. Got a story idea or news tip for Andy? Email him directly and connect with him socially across Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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3 comments
Thank goodness, saved some poor sap of a lawyer from having to bathe daily in holy water to wash out that evil.
“He who serves as his own counsel has a fool for a lawyer and a jackass for a client” A. Lincoln
Remember the detail that the federal investigators asked his son if he had ever been photographed by his dad, and the kid taped his mouth shut and started hitting himself and crying…..