|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
While much of the light and heat on the issue of lawsuit reform in South Carolina has been taking place in the State Senate, a late entry to the battle is focusing its attention on a lawyer-legislator in the S.C. House of Representatives.
DOGE SC – which jumped into the fray earlier this week – sent out district-wide texts in Dorchester County on Wednesday (March 26, 2025) blasting state representative Gil Gatch. A third-term “Republican” from Summerville, Gatch has earned a reputation as one of the most vocal defenders of the Palmetto State’s unfair, anti-competitive tort laws. He’s also been a poster politician for lawyer-legislators who routinely receive lenient, preferential treatment from the judges they appoint on behalf of violent criminals they represent.
FITSNews has led the fight against such preferential treatment – and the broader battle to reform the Palmetto State’s corrupt method of judicial selection. Gatch has fought against both efforts.
The DOGE SC text claimed Gatch “appears to be using his position in the State House for personal financial gain.”
***
“Gil Gatch is actively fighting tort reform – reform that is desperately needed to protect small businesses from ambulance-chasing trial lawyers,” the message state. “Georgia and Florida have already enacted reform – leaving South Carolina at a disadvantage again.”
“Why is Gil Gatch opposing tort reform?” it continued. “Because he is a trial lawyer who profits by suing small businesses.”
The missive targeting Gatch promised that DOGE SC would “make sure you, the voter… have a choice in the 2026 primary so you can elect a true representative of the citizen.”
Founded by Isle of Palms, S.C. billionaire Rom Reddy, DOGE SC is weighing in on several hot-button debates at the S.C. State House – including tort reform and tax policy. Its primary mission, though, is reducing the scope and the influence of state bureaucracies.
“The agency state has become an unelected fourth branch of government with the ability to create and enforce regulations with the power of law,” Reddy wrote on X this week. “It’s unconstitutional. It’s time to take back power. If you are a politician who doesn’t agree that power lies with the citizens then you won’t be in office very long.”
***
RELATED | PALMETTO POLITICAL STOCK INDEX
***
Gatch was having none of Reddy’s rhetoric.
“My constituents make the decision whether I stay or go… not a billionaire on the beach or his paid handlers,” he told FITSNews.
Gatch also took to social media to fire back at Reddy, accusing him of working with allies of the legislature’s top tort reform supporter – S.C. Senate majority leader Shane Massey.
“Hey ‘Rom’ who you paying to send out your ridiculous texts for you?” Gatch wrote. “Do I know him? Is he connected to Shane Massey and Senate majority caucus? Asking for a friend?”
Gatch should probably think twice before accusing anyone else of being a paid hack in this fight. After all, he has been stuffing his pockets with contributions from his colleagues in the über-liberal trial lawyer lobby during the lawsuit reform debate.
Count on FITSNews to keep our audience in the loop as that debate continues to unfold… and as skirmishes continue to break out ahead of what’s shaping up as yet another bloody “Republican” primary election cycle in 2026.
***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
***
WANNA SOUND OFF?
Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to address proactively? We have an open microphone policy! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.
4 comments
Lawsuit “reform” makes government more efficient?
You know Gatch is corrupt because he was a huge fan of former Judge Bentley Price.
Gatch is not unique in Dorchester County elected representatives. The majority are RINO/Uni-party, representing special interests and themselves rather than the people that elected them. The Dorchester County Republican Party, which bills itself as conservative republican, is pretty well controlled by these elected legislators (including the County Council) so that the possibility of positive, conservative change is unlikely.
Will. I’d love to do a filmed interview/debate with you on this issue. I think your viewers would get something from it and I’d like to answer your specific questions on the bill. Think that can happen?