SC

Sources Implicate Darrell Jackson, Top Aide In “Richland County Robbery”

STATE SENATOR ACCUSED OF CONSPIRING WITH FORMER ELECTION DIRECTOR How quickly things can change when one person decides to make a difference on behalf of the side of right … but will that one person’s efforts be enough? We’re about to find out … A few months ago, the story of the…

STATE SENATOR ACCUSED OF CONSPIRING WITH FORMER ELECTION DIRECTOR

How quickly things can change when one person decides to make a difference on behalf of the side of right … but will that one person’s efforts be enough?

We’re about to find out …

A few months ago, the story of the “Richland County Robbery” – one of the most egregious instances of political corruption in South Carolina history – appeared to be on the verge of being forgotten.  This $1.2 billion heist – “approved” via a rigged election in November 2012 – seemed destined to fade into history as the latest example of overt institutional lawlessness being tolerated by the powers-that-be in South Carolina (see here) and in Washington, D.C. (see here).

What do we mean by “lawlessness?”  We mean this election was stolenand no one cared.

Illegal shortages of voting machines were disproportionately (and deliberately) targeted to precincts which had previously voted against this tax hike, resulting in long lines and wait times approaching seven hours.

It was voter suppression, pure and simple … part of a calculated effort by powerful local politicians and their special interest backers.

RICK REAMES
RICK REAMES

They got away with it, too.  Or at least they have so far …

Last May, though, there was ray of hope.  That’s when it was revealed that Rick Reames – the director of the S.C. Department of Revenue (SCDOR) – had initiated an audit into some of the proceeds from this $1.2 billion tax hike.

While Reames’ probe wasn’t a criminal investigation of the stolen election – its probing of the proceeds from the “penny tax” did shine a long-overdue spotlight on some of the shady dealings associated with this ballot measure.

It also produced the first arrests related to the scandal.

Reames has made it clear he’s not stopping … and we support him 100 percent in those efforts.  He is the first government official to publicly go after these crooks, and he deserves tremendous credit not only for doing so – but for re-igniting the broader, more important discussion about the stolen election.

Unfortunately, Reames can only do so much.  Those responsible for investigating the alleged criminality associated with “penny tax” election have failed to do their jobs, enabling the unlawful theft and empowering those who perpetrated it.

Perhaps this report will force the issue …

Multiple sources are now confirming details of this stalled criminal probe – including seismic new allegations against a sitting S.C. Senator who has played an integral role in the fiasco from the very beginning.

To recap: After Richland County, S.C. voters narrowly rejected this tax hike in 2010, “Republican” and Democratic leaders of the local legislative delegation got together and took matters into their own hands.  With the approval of S.C. governor Nikki Haley, they passed a law seizing control of the local election commission – and proceeded to install their hand-picked puppet as its leader.

The constitutionality of this “coup” has been challenged – although there has yet to be a definitive determination on the issue.

Perhaps the new S.C. Supreme Court will take it up …

What we do know is the legislative delegation’s appointed puppet – Lillian McBride – did what she was appointed to do after being appointed to her post in July 2011, replacing a competent official who had spent the previous three decades running fair, free and efficient elections in Richland County.

Pushing for McBride’s appointment?  S.C. Senator Darrell Jackson – who is closely connected to some of the insiders profiting off of the stolen election.

According to our sources, Jackson and his political advisor – Democratic operative Antjuan Seawright – met with McBride on several occasions during the late spring and early summer before the election.

Seawright is also closely connected to this tax hike – working for one of the companies who received a contract out of its proceeds (a deal Reames’ investigation deemed to be in violation of state law).

Neither Jackson nor Seawright would comment for this story … but two sources who witnessed their meetings with McBride spoke with us exclusively – and extensively – about what they witnessed in the run-up to the stolen vote.

“I can confirm that I witnessed (Jackson) come into the office on two occasions in particular – at particular times during which the allocations of machines was being discussed,” one of the sources told us, referring to meetings that took place in June and early July of 2012.

A second source at the Richland County election commission confirmed these mid-2012 meetings – and the participation of Jackson and Seawright.

What did the powerful Senator and his operative discuss with McBride?  Good question …

“The door was closed,” one of our sources said.

Apparently with good reason. Prior to one of her early meetings with Jackson and Seawright, McBride had reportedly requested a copy of the latest voting machine allocations for the November election.

“The document was a spreadsheet with mathematical calculations on it,” one of our sources said.

McBride had that spreadsheet in her office during her meetings with Jackson and Seawright, we’re told.

“When the politician left the paper was not returned for several days,” the source added.

What happened when the piece of paper was finally returned?  You guessed it: McBride had issued an order to dramatically reduce the number of machines assigned to the 2012 election.

“After she met with them she changed it,” our source said.

To comply with state election law, Richland County was supposed to have at least 864 operable voting machines deployed across the county.  At the time of the election, it reportedly had at least 925 operable machines available – more than enough to meet the legal requirement.  Another forty-five machines were in possession of the county, but were said to have been inoperable due to various malfunctions.

How many machines were actually deployed?  Let’s consult the “smoking gun” email obtained by this website in early 2013.

“I just talked with Lillian and she gave me a revised list of the machines needed for the Nov 6 Election,” an unidentified election commission employee wrote to an undisclosed list of recipients.  “She got the number down to 605 for machines.”

Here, again, is that memo (note the July 3, 2012 date) …

(Click to enlarge)

smoking gun

(Pic Provided)

In other words, after meeting with Jackson and Seawright behind closed doors – McBride issued a directive to cut the number of available voting machines for the November election by a whopping thirty percent.

Not surprisingly, McBride’s directive prompted dissension on her staff.

“Why are we reducing all of these machines?” one employee is said to have asked her, according to our sources. “We are to the point where we almost have less machines for the county-wide election than were used during the city election?”

In the aftermath of the election, both of our inside sources said they revealed their knowledge of McBride’s meeting with Jackson and Seawright to investigators with the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED).

In fact, both specifically mentioned speaking with the same agent – James Flowers.

JAMES FLOWERS
JAMES FLOWERS

Flowers is no longer with SLED.  He stepped down from the agency in late October of 2015 to run for sheriff of Richland County against longtime incumbent Leon Lott.  According to our sources, his investigation is the one S.C. attorney general Alan Wilson has been sitting on for months.

Flowers declined to comment on the investigation, citing conflicts raised by his candidacy for public office.

Sources in the attorney general’s office have confirmed the probe, though – and Flowers’ authorship.

“We have his report,” one of Wilson’s deputies told us, refusing to elaborate further.

What did the report conclude?

“The long lines at the polls were definitely caused by the shortages,” a source familiar with the investigation told us.  “The 2012 penny tax was the motivating factor for manipulating voter turnout.”

Wow … just as we suspected.

The source added that the failure of law enforcement to prosecute those responsible for the suppression was “frightening.”

“I think manipulating voter turnout is a suppression of constitutional rights – rich or poor, black or white,” the source said.

We concur … wholeheartedly.

Sources at SLED tell us McBride should have been arrested – as there was ample evidence to support doing so.

“The AG’s office was planning on doing that,” one agency source told us.  “I don’t know why they didn’t.”

Wilson did not respond to our request for comment.  Neither did his spokesperson.

Of course not only were McBride and her alleged co-conspirators not arrested or prosecuted – she was actually rewarded with a new job and a lifetime pension.

Amazing …

We’ve been covering the ongoing investigation of the proceeds of this tax very closely.  And we support that investigation enthusiastically.  But at each step of that probe, we’ve tried to remind our readers that the real scandal here isn’t really how this money is being misspentit’s that it was stolen from taxpayers in the first place.

***

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49 comments

CorruptionInColumbia February 24, 2016 at 11:33 am

Great article, Will!!!! Jackson was instrumental in protecting McBribe after she did the deed for the Richland Crime Ring. The Atlas Road Mafia takes care of its own.!

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Cube Warrior February 24, 2016 at 2:09 pm

Couldn’t agree more: kudos to Will for getting this. Although I’m happy to see that this “reverend” is once again called out for being a giant PoS, I’m not happy because probably nothing will change. As for everyone else: next time you see a customized BMW x5 with SC Senate plates rolling down Garners Ferry or Atlas Roads, give it a giant middle finger.

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Carolynafish3 February 24, 2016 at 11:47 pm

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Tazmaniac February 24, 2016 at 11:35 am

Maybe if we get a real Justice Department again in DC they can produce a little bug poison for these cockroaches. Hat tip to JimBob. The good citizens of Richland County ought to check out Detroit for a peek in to their future.

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Torch February 24, 2016 at 11:46 am

Then the cockroaches in Lexington will thrive.

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shifty henry February 24, 2016 at 12:21 pm

—- and Metts will be back soon. — at least he smiled and thanked me for my small donation at that infamous bbq. Shifty has a looooooooong memory.

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shifty henry February 24, 2016 at 12:41 pm

Detroit — the city that decided that they might survive financially if it shrank(?) the city limits. That didn’t go over very well with those folks who would be kicked out! No police, fire department, etc.

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shifty henry February 24, 2016 at 1:02 pm

“a little bug poison for these cockroaches” — anally applied!

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erneba February 24, 2016 at 11:43 am

The crime was obvious, the players were known, the results were predictable, the culprits aren’t in jail.

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A Penny for Your Thoughts February 24, 2016 at 11:51 am

I bet if they were fat, white republicans there’d be heads rolling in the streets of Columbia.

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Flip February 24, 2016 at 12:21 pm

If fat white Republicans had to worry about their necks then there would be a lot, lot, lot more security around the State House.

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shifty henry February 24, 2016 at 1:01 pm

The first thing they would do is spread more pebbles around….

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A Penny for Your Thoughts February 24, 2016 at 11:47 am

Awe, come on y’all… they dindunuffins.

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Tazmaniac February 24, 2016 at 12:18 pm

You seem a lot more focused on the color of the criminals than the crime, WTF?

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A Penny for Your Thoughts February 24, 2016 at 1:14 pm

This whole investigation beez rasssssistssss

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stumpknocker February 24, 2016 at 11:47 am

i’m just all pissed off all over again, and it was so obvious, mcbride just sat back smiling like a pig eating slop and walked into her new 60k a year job, and what was her qualification for her new position, rigged a freaking election.

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Tazmaniac February 24, 2016 at 12:13 pm

I thought I read an article at WIS? that it was $75K? Regardless 60-75K compared to $1.2 Billion kind of makes her act the equivalent of a $10 blowjob from a crack whore

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Flip February 24, 2016 at 12:19 pm

That’s what three janitors could make. Three people could be put to work with respectable jobs for what we waste on that cow.

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Jakieagain February 24, 2016 at 12:39 pm

WELL !!

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stumpknocker February 24, 2016 at 12:44 pm

i don’t think you could prove she broke the law, and i think she did, but the way they paid her the hush money and still paying her hush money with our tax dollars makes me want to puke.

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shifty henry February 24, 2016 at 12:27 pm

The real sin is voter apathy. Although my daughter and her husband went to vote after work but the line was so long they went home. She told me later that they didn’t think it was that important, and they were very tired. The extra 1% doesn’t hurt their pocketbook, but as for me it is the principle that counts.

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cotton February 24, 2016 at 11:55 am

and da blacks get blacka

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swpbbls February 24, 2016 at 12:08 pm

“I don’t know why they didn’t [arrest McBride].” Because Alan Wilson is neutered and on a federal leash?

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Flip February 24, 2016 at 12:17 pm

He likes his fancy title and doesn’t want to upset anyone that might have dirt on him.

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swpbbls February 24, 2016 at 12:19 pm

just dirt?

here’s a double dog leash:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHTb9d5GC7Q

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erneba February 24, 2016 at 12:22 pm

Never seen that…good idea…

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stumpknocker February 24, 2016 at 12:32 pm

yeah but down in the bayou a lightbulb just lit up in a gator hunter’s head.

shifty henry February 24, 2016 at 1:05 pm

winner of the day, so far…..

shifty henry February 24, 2016 at 1:04 pm

that is funny!

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Scooter February 24, 2016 at 3:31 pm

He has no balls.

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SCDad February 24, 2016 at 12:09 pm

I find this to be absolutely shocking!!! It CAN’T be true!!! sarcasm// Great article FITS

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Mex February 24, 2016 at 12:47 pm

Rick Reams worked for the Nexsen Pruet law firm. Now he is head of DOR. Nexen Pruet were supposed to do a lot of legal and business development work. The crooks cut them out of the deal. Reames is only paying back the thieves for not having that “honor among thieves ” thing we so often hear about.

Moral of the story is never screw a big law firm.

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shifty henry February 24, 2016 at 1:08 pm

Two lawyers are walking down the street when they see a
gorgeous woman walking toward them.

The first lawyer says, “See that woman; boy would I love
to screw her!”

The second lawyer says, “Out of what?”

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GoCocks! February 24, 2016 at 12:52 pm

For a long time I thought that the complaints of tampering were way overblown and we were just dealing with garden variety incompetence. The details in this story, however, if true, shift me to the side of tampering. This may be the first time that a Fitsnews story actually changed my opinion!

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stumpknocker February 24, 2016 at 12:56 pm

oh it is true, and i voted for it, but what they did to the election process makes me want to blow a gasket, that woman is a criminal and she is getting a 60 or 70k payoff for her crime.

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euwe max February 24, 2016 at 12:55 pm

If you can’t feel the microphone on your lower lip, you’re not doing it right.

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euwe max February 24, 2016 at 2:11 pm

“It’s downright shameful that we’re only concerned about rat health for purely selfish reasons.”

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Laura Lee Candie-Fitzwilly February 24, 2016 at 2:30 pm

The only way to get to the bottom of this is to prosecute Miz Lillie and get her to rat out Jackson and his ilk in exchange for immunity. The deliberate reduction in voting machines for the purpose of suppressing the anti-tax vote is a crime. Then, there needs to be a concerted effort to repeal the existing tax and subject it to another vote.

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jimlewisowb February 24, 2016 at 2:41 pm

Jackson ? Seawright ? McBride ? Flowers ?

I can feel it in my bones that there is a common thread here, but for some reason I just quite put my finger on it —–

I know it is not because they are all humans, nor that they are all Bible carriers , nor that they all live in Richland County, nor that they all like BBQ, nor even the fact that they are all mother fucking Cockroaches who will at some point roast in Hell for eternity

Maybe if I wait awhile it will come to me, my brain is beginning to hurt trying to come up with what these folks have in common

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shifty henry February 24, 2016 at 4:54 pm

There’s a country ballad in there somewhere….

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jimlewisowb February 24, 2016 at 5:18 pm

Speaking of country ballad I ran across an unusual video of Vince Gill and Rodney Crowell in drag singing what I labeled First Eunuch Michael’s favorite Country Ballad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjkLf_X88WM&ebc=ANyPxKoZ8Tz2JfD5xwTn9JmVW8eXykkyz8mLWwvqGNlS7NvcEAslBRFvbWHnI7Ilq1NoRxWXzUPaQRkeGCAzLOnSkrNOx2FgUg

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shifty henry February 24, 2016 at 6:26 pm

That’s a terrificly perfectly performed video which I’ve never seen/heard before! Thanks..!! One scene reminds me of ….
——————————————————————

Ted and his wife were working in their garden one day when Ted looks over at his wife and says: “Your butt is getting really big, I mean really big! I bet your butt is bigger than the barbecue.”

With that he proceeded to get a measuring tape and measure the grill and then went over to where his wife was working and measured his wife’s bottom.

“Yes, I was right, your butt is two inches wider than the barbecue!!!!”

The wife chooses to ignore her husband. Later that night in bed, Ted is feeling a little frisky. He makes some advances towards his wife who completely brushes him off.

“What’s wrong?” he asks.

She answers: “Do you really think I’m going to fire up this big-ass grill for one little weenie?”

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Philip Branton February 24, 2016 at 2:45 pm

Hmm…….Not only should McBride be held accountable, but the entire staff who works for her in that department. Election plans are made way in advance. Polling stations rarely move from year to year and the number of machines should not change. There should be video documentation taken by the actual voters in line to be used in a court of law. Cell phone records of the actual calls that were made by these voters should also be used in a class action lawsuit..! Heck, follow the phone call trail and see the connections to other voting districts across the Nation where these tactics have been documented and bring the entire network down.

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cancer February 24, 2016 at 3:20 pm

off with their heads . providing they dont grow back

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Yelsewh February 24, 2016 at 3:34 pm

The whole thing had Darrell Jackson’s stink on it from the beginning.

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Lilly Von Schtup February 24, 2016 at 5:50 pm

The election has already been challenged and was declared legal by the SCSC. Move on, nothing to see here…but the perps can still be prosecuted. The only reason they weren’t is that there are Republican fingerprints on this scam too, and the Reverend Jackson knows where the bodies are buried.

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Old RC lawyer February 25, 2016 at 7:17 am

The Richland County old line Democratic Party establish decided a long time ago to let Darryl Jackson get away with this debacle. Next time you see Jean Toal, Bob Coble, Joel Lourie or James Smith, tell them thank you for permitting the criminals to run the county.

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Lone Ranger February 24, 2016 at 6:08 pm

That’s right—you need to figga there’s at least one nigga who’s an even bigger felon than Hide-My-DUI-T-Bone-Ben

And that’d be Going-To-Hell-In-Minister’s-Robes-Jackson—who’s Diamond-50-Mil-Jim’s best ALSO UNindicted friend !!!

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Lone Ranger February 24, 2016 at 6:14 pm

Yo…Joe-Boehner/Ryan-Voting-Flag-Ripping-Wilson and equally gutless Alan—that’s right—we won’t leave you out, too

You BOTH richly deserve your place beside Haley on political Boot Hill and this year count on it–it WILL be coming to you !!!

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