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A South Carolina lawmaker is remaining silent after winning reelection amid a now-extended federal investigation relating to allegations of harboring child sex abuse material (CSAM).
Within days of winning his virtually unopposed reelection for S.C. House District 88, an attorney for S.C. State Representative RJ May III assented to extending the forfeiture deadline associated with 35 electronic devices seized during a search of his client’s Lexington County, S.C., home three months ago.
Originally set for December 5, 2024, the new deadline for filing criminal judicial forfeitures against May’s properties is March 5, 2025.
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The order gives agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) more time to examine 19 flash drives, four hard drives, four cell phones, four SD cards, two DVR-Rs, one Lenovo Laptop and one Amazon tablet seized by federal agents on August 5, 2024.
As exclusively reported by FITSNews, the aforementioned devices were confiscated during an early morning search of May’s home – executed while his wife and minor children were present. While details surrounding the ongoing investigation remain unclear, sources familiar with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – a law enforcement agency within DHS – maintain May’s investigation involves “evidence” disseminated over a freeware messaging app.
In the immediate aftermath of having his home ransacked by investigators, May is said to have told members of his ultra-conservative S.C. Freedom Caucus to “blast the deep state” before disabling his official Facebook page and ceasing most communications with media.
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On October 22, 2024, May issued a brief statement to The (Columbia, S.C.) State newspaper when write-in candidate Brian Duncan accused him of doing “nothing” for his constituency. He referred to Duncan’s assertions as “simply” untrue – and left it at that.
Considering May ran virtually unopposed this election cycle, political analysts believe his 92.2 percent victory against an 11th-hour write-in candidate to be “telling.”
First elected to the S.C. House of Representatives in 2020, May remains a sitting member of the S.C. General Assembly while serving as president of Ivory Tusk Consulting — a political consulting and public relations agency headquartered within his home on Lake Frances Drive.
According to its now-disabled website, May’s firm has collaborated with U.S. Congressmen Russell Fry and Joe Wilson, S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson, Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon and Berkley County Sheriff Duane Lewis, among other Palmetto State authorities.
Since coming under federal investigation, the whereabouts of May and his family have remained unclear. The three-term lawmaker has yet to respond to any media request from FITSNews – including several text messages sent to multiple phone numbers affiliated with his firm.
In the event we receive a response from May, we will update our audience…
This story may be updated.
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THE FEDERAL FILING…
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
(Dynal Nolan/FITSNews)
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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