Despite a long record of successes, SC Attorney General, Alan Wilson, has also been the subject of several controversies during his tenure. These span legal battles over social issues, criticisms of his prosecutorial decisions, and ethics probes related to campaign funds and political activities.
Many of these have drawn bipartisan scrutiny, particularly since the hotly contested 2026 race for SC Governor has begun in earnest. Wilson’s defenders claim they are no more than partisan smears or necessary defenses of state law.
Key Controversies
Legal Fight Against Same-Sex Marriage (2014–2015): Wilson led efforts to defend South Carolina’s ban on same-sex marriage, filing appeals and prolonging litigation even after the U.S. Supreme Court signaled its unconstitutionality in Obergefell v. Hodges. Critics accused him of wasting taxpayer resources on a losing cause, leading to a federal court order for his office to pay over $134,000 in plaintiffs’ attorneys’ fees. The case highlighted tensions between state officials and federal rulings on LGBTQ+ rights.
Challenges to Federal Policies (Ongoing): As part of Republican AG coalitions, Wilson has sued to block the Affordable Care Act, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), EPA environmental regulations, and Biden-era policies on AI oversight and “woke” education materials. While supporters praise these as checks on federal overreach, detractors argue they prioritize ideology over practical governance. As recently as this month, an editorial criticized these suits for diverting resources from enforcing state laws.
Scott Spivey Shooting Investigation (2023–2025): Wilson’s office declined to charge businessman Weldon Boyd in the fatal shooting of Scott Spivey during a 2023 confrontation at a North Myrtle Beach bar, citing self-defense under the state’s “Stand Your Ground” law. Spivey’s family and critics, including Mace, alleged bias toward Boyd (a donor) and inadequate investigation, prompting Wilson to request an external review by a solicitor in May 2025. The case fueled accusations of favoritism in high-profile deaths.
High Dismissal Rate in Child Exploitation Cases (2019–2022): A 2025 FOIA request revealed Wilson’s office dismissed or dropped over 92% of child pornography and sexual exploitation cases referred in Dorchester County (Lowcountry region), with many offenders avoiding sex offender registries. Mace highlighted this in October 2025, calling it a failure to protect children and demanding statewide data. Wilson’s team countered that decisions were case-specific and prosecutorial discretion, but local law enforcement expressed lost confidence in the office. Similar patterns have been alleged in sexual assault prosecutions, with Mace claiming in February 2025 that victims face threats or delays in her own case.
Ethics Investigations (2025): The South Carolina State Ethics Commission opened at least two probes into Wilson this year:
- In May 2025, a 16-page complaint against Wilson alleged misuse of campaign funds, including travel to New York City to support Donald Trump’s hush-money trial, potentially blending official and political roles.
- In July 2025, A second complaint (with addendums) focused on similar fund improprieties, bringing the total to nine alleged violations under review as of October 2025. Wilson’s campaign dismissed these as “frivolous,” but the commission found sufficient evidence to proceed.
- A separate 2021 bar complaint accused him of fanning the January 6 insurrection by backing Texas’s election-overturn lawsuit.
Pay-to-Play Allegations with Republican AGs (Ongoing): Records from American Oversight (a watchdog group) show Wilson participating in a national “pay-to-play” scheme among Republican AGs, where donors fund lawsuits in exchange for influence. This ties into broader critiques of his office’s resource allocation, including a $75 million payout in November 2025 to private lawyers (including his former firm) from a $600 million military plutonium settlement.
These controversies have tended to intensify with each of Wilson’s reelection bids and, have reasserted themselves even more strongly this year since Wilson announced his gubernatorial ambitions.
To allies, most of these issues paint Wilson as a conservative fighter. To critics, he has appeared to be ineffective or biased.
No criminal charges have resulted from any of the ethics probes into Wilson, but they have affected public trust.
This article was written by the Voter Education Staff of the Saluda County Republican Party with research help from AI.