S.C. Attorney General Focus Of Ethics Complaint

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South Carolina attorney general Alan Wilson is the focus of an investigation initiated by the S.C. State Ethics Commission (SCSEC), according to a letter obtained by FITSNews‘ lead investigative reporter Andy Fancher.

According to the letter – dated last Thursday (May 8, 2025) – an unnamed recipient was informed that the SCSEC has received a “complaint filed by you against (Wilson).”

“The complaint contained facts sufficient to warrant an investigation,” the letter continued.

In keeping with its longstanding policy to neither confirm nor deny the existence of complaints or investigations, SCSEC officials declined to respond to our requests for comment regarding the matter. However, FITSNews has since learned the source of the 16-page complaint is conservative activist Lee Granade of Beaufort, S.C.

Granade, a “writer/researcher of S.C. corruption,” has previously leveled false allegations against Wilson. This time, though, something she alleged appears to have stuck against the wall… at least for the moment.

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? #BREAKING: Four-term S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson is under investigation by the State Ethics Commission (#SCSEC) following a 16-page complaint outlining allegations of misused campaign funds.

Wilson rose to international prominence after his office prosecuted… pic.twitter.com/K8qzCG6ibD

— Andrew Fancher (@RealAndyFancher) May 16, 2025

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The complaint from Granade – initiated in July 2024 but finalized just last month – claimed Wilson committed multiple “potential violations of campaign law” related to a birthday party fundraiser held in 2023.

According to Wilson’s campaign, the complaint is “frivolous” and they expect the matter to be “resolved quickly.”

“The Attorney General has a few very dedicated antagonists, so I’m sure this isn’t the last frivolous complaint we’ll receive,” Kurt Pickhardt, a spokesman for Wilson’s campaign, told FITSNews. “We used the word ‘event’ instead of ‘fundraiser’ on a financial disclosure for an ‘event’ that we discussed with the ethics commission prior to sending out invitations. One check of many raised that evening went to the wrong bank resulting in a banking deposit error.”

According to Pickhardt, the error has been corrected.

“We’ve been in touch with the ethics commission and expect this to be resolved quickly,” he said.

Count on FITSNews to keep our audience apprised of any developments related to the SCSEC inquiry…

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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.

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