THERE’S A LOT MORE CORRUPTION TO BE EXPOSED IN SOUTH CAROLINA
|| By FITSNEWS || Last year was a big one for S.C. attorney general Alan Wilson. South Carolina’s top prosecutor earned his stripes during the investigation of former S.C. House Speaker Bobby Harrell – who was forced to resign his office last year after pleading guilty to several ethics charges.
Wilson – who relishes his reputation as a Boy Scout – emerged as a modern-day version of Eliot Ness, the crusading prohibition-era lawman whose “Untouchables” helped take down Al Capone in the early 1930s.
Wilson wasn’t just going up against a particular politician … he was fighting a corrupt system. And his willingness to engage the fray served as an inspiration to legions of reformers who have grown sick and tired of chronic corruption in state government.
To say nothing of a total lack of accountability …
But as the first month of the New Year draws to a close, the hottest rumor at the S.C. State House is that Wilson is “spent” – that his investigation (conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Attorney in South Carolina) is done.
Neither Wilson nor his office will comment one way or another on that …
With the exception of one interview back in May of last year, they’ve said absolutely nothing about the status of “the probe.”
Sources close to Wilson insist rumors of the investigation’s demise are false.
“It’s not over,” one well-placed source tells FITS.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but it better not be … because South Carolina cannot afford for it to be.
Wilson was a little-known statewide official before he made public corruption his office’s central focus. Now he is one of South Carolina’s top political prospects. And to his credit he’s earned the accolades he’s received – picking fights no one else dared to pick.
But his work isn’t done … far from it, actually.
For starters, Harrell’s misdeeds – while serious – pale in comparison to those committed by S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley (whom Wilson inexplicably declined to prosecute). Dozens of other state officials have committed clear violations of state ethics law – yet continue to evade accountability for their actions.
We’re referring to powerful politicians like S.C. House leaders Brian White and Bill Sandifer – among others.
Wilson cannot afford to let these elected officials evade his dragnet …
Sources close to Wilson have repeatedly told FITS his office has a simple standard: It prosecutes only those cases it believes it can prove, and it doesn’t care whether the target of the investigation is a “big rat” or a “baby mouse.” We believe that. We also believe Wilson is the Boy Scout everyone (or almost everyone) says he is.
But there are questions that cannot be ignored …
For example, agents of the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) weighed in on Wilson’s decision not to prosecute Haley – a clear conflict of interest given that Haley appoints the chief of SLED.
Seriously … what did he think SLED was going to say about investigating the governor?
Others fear Wilson will show deference to those elected officials affiliated with the consulting empire of Richard Quinn and Associates (a.k.a. the “Quinndom”) – which is where he receives his political advice.
“Unless one of (Quinn’s) scalps goes up on his wall – his ‘probe’ has no legitimacy,” one State House insider told FITS. “He’s gotta take one of those guys down.”
We’re inclined to agree …
Unlike his predecessor Henry McMaster, Wilson has done an amazing job putting public corruption front and center on his agenda. In fact his efforts have made long-overdue ethics reform one of the top items on the S.C. General Assembly’s agenda – thanks in large part to the efforts of newly elected S.C. Speaker Jay Lucas.
But Wilson’s decision to shine the light inside the S.C. State House’s cesspool appears to have sent more rats scurrying than he and his federal friends know what to do with … not to mention raised the public’s expectations regarding the consequences that should befall each and every one of those rats.
Bottom line? Wilson has started an important fight … now he has to finish it.
48 comments
He won’t. Given that many of the key corruption players are friends of hi dad and friends of the family, Alan won’t see this through.
You can’t judge a book by its cover.
??
…and in other news, Republicans cave on right to life bill.
It’s funny because all this talk about the economy and how they were going this and that done immediately takes a backseat to repeatedly mash the usual “social conservative issues” button, and when they figure out even their own party won’t vote for that shit they have to back up and pass some other bill instead.
It doesn’t matter which bill they pass anyways because it’s guaranteed veto material.
Republicans are super cereal about fixing this country’s problems though! Just after a few months of worthless token bills to give Obama’s hand a little exercise and they’ll totally get back to work, or something.
Or something ;)
super cereal
———-
it works!
I heard a poll on NPR yesterday said that only 1% of those polled said that abortion was at the top of the list they wanted Congress to address.
Whose effing right to life are we talking ng about? The mother with young children or the unborn? I am very pro-life in my personal views, but the government has NO business in my vagina nor my ability to make decisions about me. Check out what happened to abortion rates with the introduction of the pill. I can’t stand Sanger’s position, but do understand. You might also look at quality of life and statistically crime went down when abortion became legal. Check out Freak anomics (sp?).
All you men out there, consider this: It could become law that men who contribute sperm to those abortion rates, could be “required” to get a vasectomy at your own expense or go to jail. How do feel about it now? It’s no longer your body or choice. Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it…..
Something really evil about a woman being proud that killing unborn children is legal.
Chilling.
Not what she said. Not what she said at all.
I’m no fan of Alan “I’ll waste your tax dollars fighting gay marriage” Wilson, but to get rid of all the corruption in the State House would make him busier than a one legged man in an ass kicking contest.
No wonder he’s tired.
I’ve actually “liked” 3 of your comments today. :-)
Scary!
Keep the luv comin’
Wilson doesn’t have the balls to go after any of the Quinndom. He’s got his headlines and it is on to the next.
Not a Wilson fan, but he sure has shown some “balls” in the Speaker Harrell case. What the future holds? Your guess as good as mine, but would like to think he has the stuff for the job.
Get educated as to why he was forced to go after Harrell, fool.
It that really you, Nancy?
Tell me this, if you can. Why are SC State Lawmakers STILL DOING what Harrell was charged with doing???? If there is going to be more arrest and prosecution … WHY ARE DOZENS of these crooks in the legislature not even blinking over what happened to Harrell? Because no Federal prosecution is going to ever happen. And Alan Wilson is not going to do a God Damn thing more, that’s why. NOBODY is going to state prison nor federal prison. The corruption is deep rooted. Everybody must complaint to D.C. and demand that Bill Nettles be removed and kept in the dark about federal investigations in South Carolina. He is just as corrupt as the rest of these goons.
Because Harrell is “cooperating” – ha! IMO that means he is going to sell someone out? Wonder how many friends he has now that he lost his power? Hmmnmn…..
State Circuit Court Judge Casey Manning is a member of the illegal/criminal activities and corruption within the Statehouse. Everybody knows that.
Jean Toal is Judge Manning’s boss and he does anything she says do. The Lexington County cabal has supported and helped Jean for years. Alan Wilson knows it. He could have taken Jean down in 2014, but didn’t. This fact will bite him in the ass when he runs for governor. We will make sure of it.
Of course his job isn’t done. He has to get under Haley’s desk.
Will your hatred for Haley and it is nothing less,is destroying you!
The article isn’t centered around Haley. Get over yourself or maybe Haley?
I think Sanford is paying him. Sanford is obviously a very self-centered, self-absorbed man, consumed by his hatred. And I cannot see any other way FITS could keep peddling this tripe, if he is not being bankrolled by an unseen puppet-master.
And the Sanford level of hate matches FITS campaign of hatred.
They have failed miserably, to this point. Maybe they think they can stop her from rising nationally. But I contend only she can do that, by drifting left…as FITS so frequently does, when left to his own devices…
Let em have at it.There is now ‘legal precedent’ for a public figure in SC to recover damages for defamation and in my opinion Kelley’s award would be peanuts compared to what a governor would receive:
CONWAY — An Horry County jury ruled in favor of Myrtle Beach area lobbyist Mark Kelley against The Sun News and investigative reporter David Wren on claims Kelley was defamed in articles written in 2010 about campaign contributions made a year earlier.
The jury awarded $400,000 in actual damages and $250,000 in punitive damages against the newspaper and Wren. The jury deliberated for more than four hours before reaching unanimous verdicts on the two types of damages.
Kelley filed the suit in May 2012 against Wren and The Sun Publishing Co., seeking actual damages to compensate for “his loss of and/or damage to his good name, his personal and business reputation,” according to the suit.
He declined to comment about the verdict after the trial.
Read more here: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2014/05/08/4215673/horry-county-jury-rules-in-favor.html#storylink=cpy
There are a couple of times FITS has crossed the line…and I don’t mean like Sanford does…He should have been sued.
I think you need to be punched in the face.
Typical, weak-minded liberal. When you get overpowered intellectually…your small brain can only resort to violence…
You cross lines constantly. Speaking of lines, there should be one 3 miles long of people who would sue you, if they thought you had any money.
You are a perfect example of typing words…but you articulate NOTHING…or any substance. It’s why so many of you are chasing me all day long…
Who cares.
Appeal pending. It will never be precident until the appeals process is exhausted. It is far from that at this point.
Details you always seem to omit when you obsess over this issue.
Great article! I’ve wasn’t a fan of “the Wilson’s” until I saw some spine. I won’t focus on uncertainties, and while the name Wilson comes to mind with some negative connations – I am so proud of AG Wilson and his family of politicians for speaking out when it mattered most. Remember Jake Knott’s? Or do you remember Mrs. Wilson? I remember the latter.
AG Wilson should make us all proud – one man had the courage to take a stance against corruption. I hope we can count on him to be there in the future, with as much knowledge and resilience.
At best, Alan’s getting Bobby Harrell was a token gesture, albeit a productive one, that Alan may have been uncomfortably forced to do when finding himself between a rock and a hard place. Despite Will’s hyperbolic comparison of Wilson and Eliot Ness, I would be surprised if Wilson knew which end of the gun the bullets come out of from the end you hold on to. Watch for Alan to push more for the bs CDV law in play now as his “latest and greatest” rather than risk stepping on the toes of Daddy Wilson’s crooked friends and cronies in LexCo politics.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/assembly-speaker-silver-arrested-report-article-1.2087758
this could have been written about that crook Hugh Leatherman!
It could have been, but not nearly as interesting :)
Yea, you are right about that!
“Wilson – who relishes his reputation as a Boy Scout – emerged as a modern-day version of Eliot Ness,”
Elliot Ness was no “Boy Scout. He had a checkered history after leaving the Feds, embellished his biography and was a heavy drinker.
Perhaps a better role model would be a local from Timmonsville, SC. Melvin Pervis, who while working for the FBI under J Edgar Hover, brought down several “public enemies.” “He is noted for leading the manhunts that tracked such outlaws as Baby Face Nelson, Pretty Boy Floyd, and John Dillinger.”
He also served in World War II, “reaching the rank of Colonel. He assisted with compiling evidence against Nazi leaders in the Nuremberg trials.”
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melvin_Purvis
On a personal note, Melvin’s sister lived across the street from me as a boy and taught my brothers in grade school.
Didn’t Hoover have a “thing” for Purvis, but his advances were re-buffed by that G-Man?
With names like Melvin and Pervis, it wouldn’t be surprising.
I agree Wilson probably is ready to move up. He has name recognition and he’s a
Republican. That’s all you need in SC politics. Jim Demented is probably whispering in his ear about all the cushy, do-nothing jobs available higher up. Why work and worry about the public welfare when you can follow in Dement-o’s footsteps?
I may have been wrong about Wilson, I mistakenly judged him by his Father. If I can help him I will. SLED should no longer be a part of the Governor’s Office.
Going back to Ken Ard, I don’t think Wilson has any particular interest in these public corruption cases – unless it’s someone like Robert Ford.
He gets backed into a corner with them because the level of corruption is too egregious to be ignored…and, it makes it look like he’s doing way more than he is.
The fact he chose not to prosecute Haley and some of the other real powers shows that’s whats really going on.
Where Wilson does not look, the Federal boys will look. Considering that they work for Obama and SC is full of GOP crooks, if I were Wilson I’d start locking them up. Before, the Feds lock him up with them. Along with all his Lexington County buddies: starting with Tricky Nicky Haley.
https://www.facebook.com/R.A.Capell/posts/10153201524247448?pnref=story