South Carolina Lawmaker Marvin Pendarvis Resigns

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Embattled South Carolina state representative Marvin Pendarvis has resigned his seat in the S.C. General Assembly, effective this month.

Pendarvis – who is currently under criminal investigation – actually resigned three days ago (Monday, September 16, 2024) in a letter sent to S.C. House speaker Murrell Smith.

“Serving in the South Carolina House of Representatives has been the honor of my life,” Pendarvis wrote. “Because of my respect for this body and for the residents of my district, I have made the difficult decision to resign from my seat.”

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(S.C. House of Representatives)

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Pendarvis added that his constituents “deserve a representative who can devote full time to their needs, and I cannot do that at this time.”

Pendarvis, 34, of North Charleston, S.C., is a Democratic lawyer-legislator. Back in April, he was accused in a bombshell civil lawsuit of defrauding his former client Adrian Lewis of Charleston, S.C. by settling a case without his consent – and then attempting to bribe Lewis into keeping silent about Pendarvis’ duplicitous behavior.

Text messages included in the civil suit (.pdf) documented the attempted shakedown.

“How much you need the check for?” Pendarvis wrote in one text message to Lewis. “Answer the question, man. How much?”

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“Let’s handle this shit,” Pendarvis wrote in another text message. “You’re not telling me what you need.”

When Lewis refused to respond to these entreaties, Pendarvis allegedly showed up at his home claiming he had $50,000 “in cash” in a black bag – money which he could give him right then and there. He added he could secure another $25,000 and would write him a check to pay his mortgage – all if Lewis would agree not sue him.

Lewis refused…

Pendarvis is scheduled to appear in court on Monday, October 14, 2024 in Charleston County in front of S.C. circuit court judge Dale Van Slambrook. He is represented in the civil case by attorneys Jim May, Jess Fickling and Wallace Lightsey. Lewis is represented in the matter by attorneys Eric Bland and Ronnie Richter of Lexington, S.C.

Not long after the civil lawsuit was filed, agents of the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) confirmed they were investigating Pendarvis for possible criminal activity based on a referral from the office of S.C. first circuit solicitor David Pascoe.

Shortly after this referral was made, our media outlet reported SLED was investigating “several other alleged victims” of Pendarvis – as well as the potential involvement of another lawyer-legislator in his attempted blackmail. According to our sources, Pendarvis “had help” in his efforts to blackmail Lewis – as well as defraud other current or former clients.

A month after the civil case was filed, Pendarvis’ license to practice law in the Palmetto State was suspended by the S.C. supreme court.

Pendarvis was elected to represent the citizens of House District 113 in 2017 and has served in that role continuously ever since. He was unopposed in this fall’s election. By virtue of his resignation, a vacancy now exists in his staunchly Democratic seat – which means a special election must be held to fill it.

Stay tuned for those dates…

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This election season, be sure you Prep for the Polls by checking your voter registration information, polling location and sample ballot at scVOTES.gov. The State Election Commission does not have editorial review or approval of any political coverage; any content posted by FITSNews does not reflect the opinion of the State Election Commission.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

Will Folks is the owner and founding editor of FITSNews. Prior to founding his own news outlet, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina, bass guitarist in an alternative rock band and bouncer at a Columbia, S.C. dive bar. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.

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