Ravenel Sentenced To Ten Months In Federal Prison

FORMER STATE TREASURER ALSO FINED $250,000

FITSNews – March 14, 2008 – Former State Treasurer Thomas Ravenel was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison and fined $250,000 today stemming from his June 2007 arrest on federal drug charges. Ravenel’s sentence will be delayed five months, however, giving his attorneys and federal prosecutors additional time to demonstrate his cooperation in ongoing investigations.

Ravenel’s jail sentence was identical to that of co-defendant Michael L. Miller, who in addition to facing federal drug charges along with Ravenel was also arrested in November of last year for striking a police officer. Miller had previously pled guilty to selling Ravenel cocaine, which the former Treasurer then provided to his friends at parties. Ravenel resigned his office in July of last year shortly after being indicted. 

The sentences were handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph F. Anderson after nearly five hours of testimony, including a statement from Ravenel in which he apologized to his family and to the people of South Carolina for his “unacceptable behavior and conduct.”

Ravenel, who has cooperated fully with authorities from the beginning and sought treatment for his drug problem, told the court that he hoped to be remembered not for his current crisis, but for how he has responded to that crisis. Both Ravenel’s attorneys and federal prosecutors lobbied for a reduced sentence, although it appears that efforts by the NAACP to frame the sentencing hearing along racial lines were successful.

Jeffrey Sewell, founder of SC Hotline, issued a blistering statement this afternoon on Judge Anderson’s ruling, saying “this is not justice – this is reverse discrimination at its worst.”

“Frankly, I think it’s a sad day when we let the NAACP or any other organization dictate terms to the federal bench – on a case that would have never been in the federal court system to begin with were it not for Thomas Ravenel’s prominent public position,” Sewell said in his statement.

At one point during the sentencing proceeding, Judge Anderson did acknowledge the fact that “it is somewhat rare to have powder cocaine cases in the federal court system.”

Another bizarre component of the sentencing revolved around a request by S.C. Common Cause director John Crangle that Ravenel be forced to pay the $28,000 costs of a special legislative session to elect his successor.

Crangle’s argument ignores the fact that the S.C. General Assembly proactively decided to hold a special session rather than permitting the governor’s interim appointment, Columbia attorney Ken Wingate, to serve as Treasurer until the legislature reconvened six months later. Additionally, the legislature took up several other matters of state business during its overtime session last summer.

Nonetheless, Judge Anderson adopted Crangle’s recommendation, although he incorporated the $28,000 restitution to the state within Ravenel’s quarter million dollar fine. Ravenel told FITSNews prior to his hearing that he had been ”ready and willing” to pay the restitution regardless of the Judge’s ruling, but that his attorneys had been awaiting clarification from the court regarding whether or not he could legally do so. 

Crangle disputed the contention that the General Assembly made a choice to hold the special session, telling FITSNews “it was (Ravenel’s) drug use that resulted in this cost.”

A review of legislative journals, however, reveals that the General Assembly specifically inserted language into its adjournment resolution last year requiring the special session in the event Ravenel stepped down. Such a move was neither constitutionally or statutorily-mandated. 

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