Lawmaker Sneers At Federal Probe Involving Freedom Caucus Member

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A member of the South Carolina General Assembly has slammed the Palmetto State’s ultra-conservative Freedom Caucus amid allegations of its former vice chairman being reportedly tied to an investigation involving child sex abuse material (CSAM).

As members of the S.C. Freedom Caucus joined the Pee Dee Republican Women (PDRW) for an indoor meeting featuring U.S. Congressman Ralph Norman, one GOP lawmaker took to social media to chastise a caucus member for vinyl-wrapping a 2019 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter parked outside. 

“I’m not sure having a van with your caucus logo is such a great idea,” state representative Brandon Guffey wrote on Facebook earlier this month. “Especially when your vice chair just had his house raided for child sex abuse material. Is there any candy in there?”

While Guffey has since emphasized his post was not intended as slanderous, it assuredly sneered at a federal search warrant executed at the West Columbia, S.C., home of state representative R.J. May III on Monday, August 5, 2024.

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As previously reported by founding editor Will Folks, agents of the S.C. Law Enforcement Division (SLED) joined federal agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) during an early morning search of May’s property on Lake Frances Drive.

While sources maintain Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) seized at least one device from May’s home, an official spokesperson for the primary investigative arm of DHS remained steadfast in neither confirming nor denying the existence of an “ongoing” investigation.

In the immediate aftermath of Folks’ bombshell report, May supposedly told members of the Freedom Caucus to “blast the deep state” before disabling his official Facebook page and ceasing all communications with inquiring media outlets.

May’s ultra-conservative allies, who recently picked up two additional seats amid a seven-figure smear campaign from within the state’s GOP, have thus far refrained from commenting on the federal investigation.

Guffey, not so much…

“Under no circumstance am I saying every member of the Freedom Caucus is a pedophile,” Guffey clarified when asked about his Facebook post on Tuesday. “What I’m insinuating is that they lack the balls to speak up whenever they have a pedophile within their midst.”

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As a freshman lawmaker, Guffey passed Gavin’s Law within ten months of his eldest son committing suicide after allegedly becoming a victim of sextortion. Guffey has since sued Meta for engaging in deceitful practices and remains an advocate for mental health in the digital age.

Within one year of successfully amending the state’s sextortion laws, Guffey joined representative Heath Sessions in a failed attempt to modify H.4561. Dubbed the “R.J. May bill,” it would have effectually disqualified political consultants from the General Assembly.

“R.J. was notorious for running negative campaigns,” Guffey continued in a phone interview with this reporter. “We weren’t ‘establishment’ Republicans trying to take out the Freedom Caucus. No. Our bill just said you can’t run campaigns within the body that you serve … it’s crooked. Period.”

Despite the attempted ousting, May remains a sitting House member while simultaneously serving as president of Ivory Tusk Consulting. Founded by the state representative in 2011, he credits the company for advising conservative politicians at the municipal and congressional levels.

According to the Internet Archive, Ivory Tusk has “helped” Congressman Norman, Congressman Joe Wilson, S.C. attorney general Alan Wilson, Lexington County sheriff Jay Koon, Berkley County sheriff Duane Lewis and at least three sitting Freedom Caucus members.

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“The Freedom Caucus wants to talk about draining the swamp when they’re the freaking swamp of Columbia,” concluded Guffey. “The thing about the van? I know that’s Joe White’s van, and he put the wrap on it. I just thought it was hilarious. The timing couldn’t have been worse.”

In response to having his allies chastised, state representative Joe White suggested someone was a “POS alcoholic” in the comment section. While his carefully worded response appears to have been removed, the Freedom Caucus member assured FITSNews he did not delete it.

“This is the gutter of politics that people hate,” White said. “We have no idea what is going on with that case. But taking the potential failure of another human being and turning it into a gleeful moment? How did we get to this low a level?”

As of this publication, the whereabouts of May and his family are unknown. He has yet to respond to multiple media requests from this outlet.

Count on FITSNews to keep our audience apprised of any new developments.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

Andrew Fancher is a Lone Star Emmy award-winning journalist from Dallas, Texas. Cut from a bloodline of outlaws and lawmen alike, he was the first of his family to graduate college which was accomplished with honors. Got a story idea or news tip for Andy? Email him directly and connect with him socially across Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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