FOR NOW …
In a ruling that shocked Palmetto political observers (including this website’s founding editor), the S.C. Supreme Court ruled this week that S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson may continue his grand jury investigation into powerful S.C. House Speaker Bobby Harrell.
Harrell’s attorneys had hoped to shut down Wilson’s probe by sending the case to the S.C. House Ethics Committee – a panel of state lawmakers best known for their cover-ups of multiple scandals, including the 2012 ethics probe of S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley.
In fact circuit court judge Casey Manning agreed with Harrell’s lawyers – ruling two months ago that Wilson must shut down his probe and let this corrupt panel handle the investigation.
Wilson immediately appealed Manning’s ruling – and won.
“The House Ethics Committee’s concurrent civil regulatory authority does not affect the Attorney General’s authority to initiate a criminal investigation in any way, whether or not there is a referral, or even a pending House investigation,” the court ruled.
The decision was unanimous … but is not the final word in the case.
Harrell’s lawyers will now have the opportunity to go back to the circuit court and argue for Wilson’s removal from the case – a decision Manning has now been cleared to issue. Assuming he sides with Harrell and boots Wilson, the court will get another bite at this particular apple.
“We reverse the circuit court order, and remand this case to the circuit court for a decision on whether the Attorney General should be disqualified from participating in these state grand jury proceedings,” the justices wrote.
The court’s ruling was written by chief justice Jean Toal, who was widely expected to side with Harrell given his Herculean efforts to get her reelected to her post earlier this year.
Wonder if she got “the message?”
Developing …
87 comments
The question of whether Wilson should be disqualified from the case ,which was not decided at the earlier proceeding ,has been remanded to Manning for a determination.
I just had to look outside to see if it was snowing!
I thought I heard uncontrollable sobbing as I drove past the Statehouse on my way home.
With all the Feds camped out in the Midlands, Mean Jean was forced to punt back to Manning instead of shutting Wilson down.
Wilson keeps probing. Harrell keeps cultivating herpes. Leatherman gets a gratuitous reach-around in The State puff piece while promising not to cum in our mouths. Toal keeps her head down in orals. Haley wanders and wonders aimlessly. And T-Bone looks for his next gravy train.
Just another day in Columbia…. Y’all come back now, hear?!!
GOOD OLE BOYS !
Alan took one in the shorts today….lmao!
I read it. I don’t see any “remand” mentioned it. This overturns Casey Manning’s order. Read it closely, and you will see it is a serious reprimand of his line of thought. Did Jean Toal work the Thrift decision? I see in this ruling a serious defense of what the judges did there. So for “Queen Jean” to do what many suspected, it might have meant overturning something she did in the past?
Then you better read the last sentence.
***CONCLUSION****
FOR THE FOREGOING REASONS, WE REVERSE AND “REMAND” THIS CASE TO THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR A DECISION ON WHETHER THE ATTORNEY GENERAL “SHOULD” BE DISQUALIFIED FROM PARTICIPATING IN THESE GRAND JURY PROCEEDINGS.
TOAL, PLEICONES, BEATTY, KITTREDGE, AND HEARN, CONCUR.
Yes. Jean Toal was the associate justice who wrote the Thrift order. Was she going to say she was wrong then to get Bobby Harrell off? Nope.
Where is anonymous?
I’m right here fuckhead!
Someone’s a little grumpy today. Perhaps you need a nice getaway. Maybe a plane trip someplace?
Sucks for you being wrong all the time, your little opposite day gig is going to catch up with you.
BTW, Judge Manning is going to Ram the Rusty Rod of Reality Remand up Wilson’s Rectum.
Which one are you? The Scooter one, the sarcastic imposter, or me since I’ve been known to use that lame-ass uncreative moniker to stir the pot occasionally. You must be Bobby’s umbrella toting little monkey – Scooter.
Which one are you? The Scooter one, the sarcastic imposter, or me since I’ve been known to use that lame-ass uncreative moniker to stir the pot occasionally. You must be Bobby’s umbrella toting little monkey – Scooter.
Riding his scooter.
HOW IS BOBBY PAYING HIS ATTORNEYS ???
FROM HIS CAMPAIGN ACCOUNT?????
I have no doubt….
Hey fitsnews, Toal didn’t write it. It’s Per Curiam, which means that it’s not written by one person.
http://sccourts.org/opinions/HTMLFiles/SC/27412.pdf
Finally it is a great day in South Carolina! People deserve this. Kudos to FITS for covering the front and backroom deals in this saga. Not over yet, but it has already been an incredible glimpse into the immense power of Harrell & Co. for the public.
It will be a great day when something comes of this. As for now, just slow political angling.
The feds just need to come on in and start operation lost trust II. Start with Haley and work their way down the snakes in office. When you have one party dictatorship this is what happens.
You see the news The Haley stank at the gun factory? She was there to pick up her free gun and one week later they laid off employees and cut the remaining ones saleries for minimum wage SC workes. Haley corporate welfare queen.
The AG has never said all ethics complaints are criminal – you simply made that up. And you have no idea what specifically the SLED investigation uncovered. But, Chief Keel and the AG do have that information and clearly agreed it met the threshold of being a criminal case.
That is what the Grand Jury decides.
Grover, Grover…..there won’t be anyone left in elective office…….wait…..that would be a VERY good thing. Then we can start over and repeat the process about every 6-8 years.
Right now!!!!
right on! For a while I thought we ought to give those in office a chance to mend their corrupt ways. But it is clear that the dark force of corruption has spread rapidly to every nook and corner of this great state of SC. I now see a complete failure of rule of law. People with power can do anything…and nothing ever happens to them, unlike common folk who make one mistake in their life and their name is dragged onto the street and mercilessly slaughtered. Its like a third world country all across America. Feds are nowhere and the people entrusted to ensure rule of law are nowhere to be found….either blind or in bed with the corrupt. Didnt think I would see this day…but its here.
If you keep up with the rulings in the US supreme court, it’s clear we have massive, widespread law enforcement and prosecutorial misconduct in this country – our SC Justice Beatty was right – and, the activist, conservative US supreme court is giving every case of it that they get a pass. Citizens have limited right of redress if the cops and prosecutors run wild.
That is why, you may hate lawyers, but some cop may not like your looks some day and you will be glad they are around.
And Harrell’s sphincter just closed so tight you couldn’t drive a straight pin in it with a ball peen hammer. Even if Wilson is forced to hand the case off, he’ll still be able to direct the investigation and he now has an even bigger hard on for Harrell. We could use a good scandal with enough fact to go the distance. Sic’em AG, sic’m.
Oh snap!
Fine, disqualify You Lie Junior! Bring in the Feds!!
I, for one, never doubted that this would be the result. Judge Manning’s decision was ludicrous. The Supreme Court isn’t corrupt. I don’t care for the shenanigans of judicial elections (been through one myself) and there is no doubt that Justice Toal is a street fighter in that context, but the Court isn’t corrupt. As I said, I expected this and expected it to be unanimous.
Jean Toal is corrupt. She is a skilled liar. She just got caught this time and bailed out in time. It’s only a matter of time before even those paid to say Toal is not corrupt will know it all.
Jean Toal is very political in her decisions and always has been.
That means that sometimes the law takes a back seat, particularly if she is left to fix legislative screw-ups. It sometimes leads to a perversion of the law. Yes, that is corrupt.
There was a case about retiree benefits about 10 years ago. I can’t remember the details, but bet Sam Griswald can.
Jean Toal is very political in her decisions and always has been.
That means that sometimes the law takes a back seat, particularly if she is left to fix legislative screw-ups. It sometimes leads to a perversion of the law. Yes, that is corrupt.
There was a case about retiree benefits about 10 years ago. I can’t remember the details, but bet Sam Griswald can.
Narcissistic, much?
No, not much.
“The court’s ruling was written by chief justice Jean Toal, who was widely expected to side with Harrell”
You mean, expected by you. I guess that’s wide enough.
TSIB: You must be Stephanie Nye or Dan Shearouse. EVERYONE knew Toal was doing all she could to help Harrell. But, as she has done in the past, Toal got what she wanted and then, she bailed when the tide turned. She got what she wanted and so long, Harrell. Lesson learned: Don’t pay your whore in advance, Bobby.
I heard Toal and Manning were warned to tread very, very carefully!
Don’t know for sure; but, having known Toal for a long, long time and watched other Judicial proceedings, I would put nothing past her.
She did what she had to do to not totally destroy her credibility.
Toal and the rest of the justices would have ended up on the wrong side of the law had they ruled otherwise. They did not want to be indicted by a federal grand jury. Harrell is finished. His cronies will go down with him. Best they turn whistleblower if they want to avoid time in prison. And some of the crimes in this matter carry up to life behind bars.
You’re an idiot. Nothing wrong with that, but it needed to be pointed out.
We’ll stop by maybe as early as next week and show you something. You see, agents are still prepared upon signature, to arrest the fat thing … I mean, “woman.”
Well, that clears that up.
Kudos to Allan Wilson and his team. We salute you!
Since AG Wilson believes that all ethics violations are criminal violations, he must now appoint a special prosecutor to investigate his own ethics campaign abuse and violations or as he would call them now, “criminal” violations. Based on Wilson’s own logic, he should be investigated for criminal activity.
If a criminal investigation of Speaker Harrell is good for the public at large, then a criminal investigation of the top prosecutor AG Wilson would be good for the citizens of South Carolina as well.
A Special Prosecutor? Brad accused Wilson of nothing more serious than a wedgy.
DIRECT QUOTES FROM THE STATE NEWSPAPER
“For Harrell, his chief of staff, Brad Wright, took the stand and told of an April 2013 confidential meeting between him and Wilson during which, Wright said, Wilson pounded his desk and angrily told Wright to take a verbal message to Harrell. The message was that Harrell had better support the formation of a Public Integrity Unit in an ethics bill under consideration in the House at the time.”
“Wright said Wilson also told him he “had friends with deep pockets who could make this an issue if he had to” – a statement that Wright said he understood as a threat. Wright said he left the meeting so shaken he talked to fellow lawyers at the time and wrote a memo about it.”
But no quid pro quo
“As Supreme Court Justices clearly pointed out at the hearing, the Attorney General has improperly handled this case from the beginning. ..As the Circuit Court ruling stated, after more than a year of investigations the Attorney General was still pursuing this case even though he could not point to a single shred of evidence of criminal wrongdoing. Clearly the Attorney General’s motivations have been corrupted by political motives and that is why he needs to be replaced with a fair and impartial prosecutor.”
“Judge Manning is now expected to decide in the near future whether Wilson has a conflict of interest in the case. During a March hearing, both sides laid out their arguments. Just two witnesses testified, Harrell chief of staff Brad Wright and Wilson. Wright said that Wilson wanted him to convey a threat to the speaker during a one-on-one meeting with the attorney general over a piece of legislation.”
Fuck You, Anonybobby!
Time to pay, scumbag.
Scooter, the quotes above are directly from the State newspaper, word for word, if you can’t handle the reporting from the State newspaper, talk to them, your ignorance is duly noted.
Anybody who has experience in legal matters – anybody who is a seasoned investigator – they will tell you, that sometimes it takes 3 or 4 years … maybe even as much, if not more than, 5 years to crack a case. So to all of you saying otherwise, your ignorance (perhaps intentional) is noted.
The quotes above are directly from the State newspaper, word for word, if you can’t handle the reporting from the State newspaper, talk to them, your ignorance is duly noted.
True true. We read stories, FBI investigates for years. Then arrest.
So Manning was chastised. How about that.
So now, he’ll be pissed off, and disqualify Wilson.
Then there’ll be an appeal.
Then… finally, Harrell will skeek out.
The true rats in SC always squeak out, See the R brand for that one !!!
Wont be the first time a SC lower court judge has been pissed over the Supremes knocking them down. Seen them take it out on litigants many times before. Luke Brown was a bad one. Danny Martin … so so. Paul Garflunckal another. And then the not so long ago removed, Judge Segars Andrews.
Say what you want about Toal but she’s a survivor and a consummate deal maker. When it comes to back room dealing and the art of the con she is twice as good as any good ol’ boy. She knows it’s time to cut ties with Harrell. I wouldn’t be surprised if Harrell disappears like Hoffa.
Do you think the Godfather himself, Hugh Leatherman, took out Harrell to have 100% of the power? I mean he did have 98% of the power but with Harrell gone, he will have 99.99%. All Hail King Leatherman.
Excellent point.
You are correct. She can deal from anywhere in the deck with either hand at the speed of light.
So what happens now, is that Harrell sings about what he knows about Toal. He knows some stuff about her and the election, I believe. Maybe Sic can call Tom Davis and ask him about it?
That is what we are hearing in the bowels of the State House today, also. Harrell is FURIOUS with Toal. HAHAHAHAHA.
Start the investigations here:
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and her husband
reported earning more than $282,000 in her third year as the state’s
CEO.
Tax returns viewed Wednesday afternoon show that about $105,000 of
the Haleys’ 2013 earnings came from her book. They also earned $70,500
from investments.
State law sets the governor’s salary at just over $106,000. Michael
Haley’s military income was not taxable during his deployment to
Afghanistan with the South Carolina Army National Guard.
The first couple paid $20,700 in state and federal taxes.
The Haleys donated $126,000 to charity, with $80,000 of that going to her community aid foundation, the Original Six.
Haley’s campaign gave reporters access to her 2013 tax returns a week
after her Democratic opponent, Sen. Vincent Sheheen, handed out copies
of his.
And the other donations ?
Don’t forget the commemorative firearm and a body cavity search.
Details about an investment that paid off $70,000 since the last tax info was released definitely needs some further exploration.
These people didn’t have a pot to piss in in 2010, right? Where did they get the money to invest in something that brought in that kind of return ?
Her book must be selling well in the Indian community.
You got fucked, get it ?
My low opinion of mankind moved up today. Perhaps it’s only a blip.
“The man of action (Harrell) has the present, but the thinker (Wilson) controls the future.”
? Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr
Toal is a political vagina with an unresolved yeast infection complicated with several allergies causing strong-smelling yellow and bloody mucous discharges that she uses to write Opinions.
Toal’s condition is untreatable as she has daily unprotected touching or intercourse with numerous persons carrying multiple viruses and bacteria to her vagina and vulva areas.
These persons, or “carriers,” are state legislators, and their source of infection is principally oral, though the Chief Justice is also exposed to the legislators’ penis, anus, and non-sterile foreign objects (gifts) including unwashed g-spot / cunnilingus vibrators.
Toal enjoys “blowing” of her vagina area, and writing of letters by tongue, by and of the carriers. If Ms. Toal would restrict her sexual partners to one individual — for instance, her husband — her condition would at least stabilize.
Multiple sexual partners and aggressive, unsafe sex are the most common cause of political infection in women.
Citizens of South Carolina suffer from Judge Toal’s vaginally-discharged Opinions.
GrandTango, that is an amazing post — how many hours and gallons of booze did it take for you and your family to come up with it?
Gross…for the pure sake of being gross.
And, sexist beyond comprehension.
Hope Dr. Phil doesn’t have any daughters.
From the shadows, handcuffs twirl around an index finger. And they whisper Manning’s name.
Will the case automatically go back to Casey Manning?
He’s already proven he’s corrupt or ignorant of the law, like way too many of our state’s judges.
Let Waters take the lead – he did a fantastic job with the SC.
JEAN!!!!! I did exactly what you told me to do! And now you dump all over me.
Oh. I get it.
Gedney Howe checked into the hospital with orgasms lasting more than 4 hours as he contemplated how much money he is gonna be billing Bobby to try to get him out of this new mess.
Ha! I think you are all missing the feint. This is probably nothing but a manufactured setback to give their next move more legitimacy. Manning will now disqualify Wilson. Who then gets to decide who is appointed to replace him? The Court? If the next prosecutor declines to prosecute based on lack of evidence then the matter is dead. Because it is all in the (statutorily secret) Statewide GJ no one will be able to get to the evidence to see if the decision not to prosecute was legitimate. They are playing the long game here f(F)olks.
Speaking of replacing people, by law, the Chief Admin judge for the 5th Circuit is supposed to be the Admin Judge for the Statewide GJ. That would be Judge Hood. Why was Hood removed as the Judge at the last minute and Manning installed? Why did the press and public just quietly accept this without question?
If Wilson really has the goods on Bobby just draft an indictment and go to the Richland (or Charleston, if jurisdiction there is more appropriate) county Grand Jury, get your indictment and get on with it. The moment the True Billed indictment is forwarded to the Governor, he is suspended by law, his spell over the House is broken, a new Speaker elected in November and no one will care anymore.
I think The Queen may have had someone stand up to her finally.When you gamble you do lose sometime. I am not to sure harsh words were not spoken
between the Supremes.
Insiders claim she is mad as hell and cutting all down at knees that are getting in her way. She will be drunk as hell at her 4 mill plus IOP beach house this weekend. It will be interesting to see if Bobby Harrell drops by for a chat.
The only reason the Court should look at removing Alan Wilson from the case, is his possible (I do mean possible) link to Gov. Haley. Haley has put on a full court press to take over Lexington County: the Shealy Jake Knotts battle after Knotts called out Haley for taking bribes on the Lex. Hospital scandal, taking out Jim Metts for backing Knotts and being a Haley critic, even backing every sort of unqualified person for offices in Lexington County, including Coroner. With Joe Wilson under her control she also has his son Alan in her claws too.
Like Metts or not, he is accused of letting illegal aliens working in the the US go. Which is exactly what the US Gov. is doing right now. Unless, it is proven that he took money, and they have direct evidence of it; not just testimony from people trying to save their own behinds; Jim Metts has a high likelihood of beating this case. He may even get his job back. They will have to come up with a lot more real proven stuff to convict him. But, with Metts out of the way and a Haley pimp in charge of the police, she then has mastery over the entire county.
If Haley’s control over Alan Wilson is true, then the evil witch is now able to get rid of all that stand in front of her; including Bobby Harrell. And, that is damn scary. Having the most corrupt Governor in SC history since “Pitch Fork,” Ben Tillman with absolute power, can only lead SC down the path to hell.
Sure it sounds a little far fetched. But, how far fetched is it that a woman from India could be elected governor of SC after getting help from the Tea Party Crooks and the Sara Palin backlash. Not so far fetched now is it?
You shouldn’t wear your tinfoil hat in a lightening storm.