Let me start with something simple: money itself is not the problem.
As Forrest Gump said when his Apple stock made him rich: “One less thing to worry about.”
Money can be good. Money can be helpful.
But the love of money—and using money as power over the people—is the beginning of corruption in a democratic republic.
Today, we need to talk about exactly that.
A Quick Trip Back 12 Years
Twelve years ago, a private citizen filed an ethics complaint against then-Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell.
SLED spent ten months investigating.
The Attorney General then asked for a state grand jury—Grand Jury #28—and assigned the case to First Circuit Solicitor David Pascoe.
That grand jury report is 247 pages long and publicly available at scsolicitor1.org.
Outcome:
Verdicts and Sentences:
- Speaker Bobby Harrell pled guilty to misuse of campaign funds and other ethics violations — and resigned his seat.
- Rick Quinn, Jr. also resigned and pled guilty to a misdemeanor for misconduct in office.
- Jimmy Merrill, House Majority Leader, pled guilty to statutory misconduct — and resigned.
- Senator John Courson resigned.
- Richard Quinn & Associates (RQA) pled guilty to failing to register as lobbyist.
Corporate Fines:
- – Palmetto Health — $100,000
- – USC — $90,000
- – SCANA — $72,000
- – AT&T — $60,000
- – SC Association for Justice — $30,000
- – Blue Cross Blue Shield — fine amount not disclosed
What Was Actually Happening?
RQA billed itself as a PR firm, but its clients were paying $4,000 to $11,000 monthly for access to powerful legislators.
Newt Gingrich once said:
Until someone is willing to lay out the systemic problem, we will simply cycle through finding corruption, finding the scapegoat, removing the scapegoat, and relaxing until the next one appears
And that’s what we’ve done in South Carolina.
Modern Examples of Money Power in South Carolina
Bill Stern:
- Successful businessman
- Chairman of SC Ports Authority
- Donated $36,000 personally to legislator races in 2024
- At least $28,000 more through LLCs to Pamela Evette’s campaign this year
Wallace Cheves:
- Reported $20 million invested in casino legalization
- Will have 18 lobbyists at the Statehouse in January
Powerful Legislators:
- Speaker Murrell Smith: $190,950 raised in 2024; 165 max donations
- Ways and Means Chairman Bruce Bannister: $396,033 raised; 295 $1,000+ donors
Grand Jury Testimony:
One witness described how Richard Quinn:
- wrote speeches for new candidates
- cleaned up their mistakes
- built loyalty
- placed allies across government and major corporations
- He controlled access. And access is power.
So, What Do We Learn?
The money thread and the legal thread form a rope, tightening around the voice of everyday South Carolinians.
South Carolina deserves better. The people deserve better.
