Post by ck4829 on Dec 26, 2016 19:33:35 GMT -6
Following the 30-count indictment of a former state House majority leader, questions over who else may face corruption charges will loom over the 2017 legislative session.
The misconduct and ethics charges announced Dec. 14 against 16-year veteran GOP Rep. Jim Merrill — the first since former Speaker Bobby Harrell pleaded guilty and resigned more than two years ago — ended all speculation that lawmakers could breathe easy.
And prosecutor David Pascoe made clear he's not done.
"This is still an ongoing investigation," he said in his Dec. 14 statement.
He repeated that to a judge on Thursday, when Merrill was allowed to remain free from jail without paying a bond.
Merrill, majority leader from 2004 to 2008, is accused of illegally profiting from his position. The indictments allege his public relations and political consulting firm, Geechie Communications, collected more than $1 million between 2002 and 2016 from clients who hired him because of his office. That includes $276,600 the GOP caucus paid his company for political mailers and ads.
He's accused of being a lobbyist and sponsoring legislation beneficial to two clients — one of which became law.
Ten of the counts accuse him of not reporting income from clients who lobby state government on 2008-2013 annual campaign disclosure reports.
www.aikenstandard.com/news/possibility-of-more-s-c-lawmakers-charged-with-corruption-looms/article_1b165b5a-7634-5cba-aad6-ac00f0cd804b.html
Read more: burnoatus.freeforums.net/thread/376/possibility-sc-lawmakers-charged-corruption?page=1#ixzz4Tzw6TlVi
The misconduct and ethics charges announced Dec. 14 against 16-year veteran GOP Rep. Jim Merrill — the first since former Speaker Bobby Harrell pleaded guilty and resigned more than two years ago — ended all speculation that lawmakers could breathe easy.
And prosecutor David Pascoe made clear he's not done.
"This is still an ongoing investigation," he said in his Dec. 14 statement.
He repeated that to a judge on Thursday, when Merrill was allowed to remain free from jail without paying a bond.
Merrill, majority leader from 2004 to 2008, is accused of illegally profiting from his position. The indictments allege his public relations and political consulting firm, Geechie Communications, collected more than $1 million between 2002 and 2016 from clients who hired him because of his office. That includes $276,600 the GOP caucus paid his company for political mailers and ads.
He's accused of being a lobbyist and sponsoring legislation beneficial to two clients — one of which became law.
Ten of the counts accuse him of not reporting income from clients who lobby state government on 2008-2013 annual campaign disclosure reports.
www.aikenstandard.com/news/possibility-of-more-s-c-lawmakers-charged-with-corruption-looms/article_1b165b5a-7634-5cba-aad6-ac00f0cd804b.html
Read more: burnoatus.freeforums.net/thread/376/possibility-sc-lawmakers-charged-corruption?page=1#ixzz4Tzw6TlVi