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A Republican member of Charleston County, South Carolina government has been accused by local Democrats of yelling at volunteers during an alleged “meltdown” at a recent phone bank operation.
Stop the presses, right?
The purported impetus of the alleged “meltdown?” Yard sign tampering.
Charleston County councilman Brantley Moody represents district seven – a heavily gerrymandered seat which incorporates parts of the West Ashley community. His district is one of the more competitive seats on county council, and he is being challenged this fall by former teacher and eco-radical Sydney van Bulck.
According to a news release from Charleston Democrats, Moody “entered the (party’s) office and began yelling at volunteers during a phone bank” on Monday afternoon (October 14, 2024).
“He falsely accused them of tampering with his yard signs, but declined to provide any proof of (the claim) when asked,” the release continued. “When he was politely asked to calm down and leave, several volunteers reported he became louder, more irate and intimidating.”
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Local Democratic leader Sam Skardon said his party “will not tolerate our volunteers being harassed by an elected official” and demanded Moody apologize.
Predictably, Skardon sought to tie Moody’s alleged actions to supposed fear-mongering by former U.S. president Donald Trump.
“Anger and fear are at the core of Donald Trump’s Republican Party,” he said. “This is another example of why no one on the MAGA ticket should be running our county government.”
Moody denied the allegations and said he was contemplating legal action against the party for defamation.
“The Charleston County Democratic Party emailed reporters a press release with absolutely false allegations, Moody wrote on his official Facebook page. “Not only (have I) never stepped foot in their office, I would never have reason to do so. I am seeking legal counsel on the proper course of action in response to their defamatory allegations.
Trump lost deep blue Charleston County in both 2016 (42.78 percent) and 2020 (42.63 percent), but the GOP has made significant inroads in recent election cycles. For example, U.S. congresswoman Nancy Mace – a Republican with a mile-wide independent streak – notched 51.79 percent of the vote in Charleston County in her landslide victory over Democrat Annie Andrews in 2022.
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While my level of interest in the veracity of yard sign tampering allegations – or ensuing “meltdowns” from local politicians – is minimal, a few questions to consider for those who do care about this race.
Would Democrats drop such a claim without proof?
Would Moody threaten to sue them if he actually engaged in the conduct of which he is accused?
Stay tuned… if one side or the other emerges with receipts (thus exposing the other in a lie), it could impact the outcome of what is expected to be a close election that could impact control of county government.
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UPDATE |
Moody has filed a lawsuit against the CCDP.
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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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1 comment
Democrats can’t be trusted.