SC Politicos Move To “Restrain” Sewell

Whether he’s threatening to kill himself, feigning a life-threatening disease, passing out drunk in public or “cracking skulls” on behalf of SCGOP candidate Karen Floyd, SC Hotline editor Jeffrey Sewell is always one of the most entertaining characters in the incestuous echo chamber of South Carolina politics.

He’s what we in the information business refer to as “good copy,” a seemingly endless fount of self-humiliating humor who remains too arrogant to stop talking and too stupid to see that everyone is laughing at – not with – him.

Sewell – who was the runaway winner of our “Slow Zebra” award earlier this year – has managed to make himself the laughing stock of South Carolina politics, a title we were convinced that Sic Willie would carry with him to his grave.

We quit taking Sewell’s phone calls several months ago, but he has continued to bombard us with unsolicited e-mails – many of them barely coherant ramblings sent in the wee hours of the morning.

Full of tall tales and idle threats, we’ve always viewed (and portrayed) Sewell as a harmless lightweight – an annoying social gadfly who posed little to no threat to anyone other than himself.

That perception could be changing, however.

Two S.C. political bloggers who have been targeted in the past by Sewell’s antics have apparently had enough – and are moving to have orders of protection filed that would prohibit the Ascot-wearing web “mogul” from harassing them.

Wait … harrassment? orders of protection?

Aren’t those typically terms reserved for legitimately dangerous people?

We thought such a defensive step was odd considering Sewell’s “village idiot” persona, and so we sat down the other day with one of these bloggers, who has evidently been doing some research into Sewell’s background.

The blogger, who spoke with us on condition of anonymity, produced documents which are alleged to be criminal complaints filed against Sewell in the past – complaints involving firearms.

We agreed beforehand not to publish these documents (somebody else wants that exclusive, apparently), but we were shocked to see Sewell’s name associated with these reports.

After all, ascots and allegations of violence typically don’t mix, people.

We will certainly keep you updated on this situation as it plays out on our rival blogs – and will be looking to see how the ownership of SC Hotline decides to do respond.

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