S.C. Legislative Panel To Hear Ethics Complaint Against Freedom Caucus Leader

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The legislative ethics committee of the South Carolina House of Representatives has scheduled a hearing this month to take action on a complaint filed against former state representative Adam Morgan – the first chairman of the S.C. Freedom Caucus.

The complaint – news of which was exclusively reported by FITSNews last month – was filed by Morgan’s rival in the 2024 GOP primary election for the Palmetto State’s fourth congressional district, fourth-term congressman William Timmons.

Last September, the S.C. State Ethics Commission (SCSEC) determined Timmons’ complaint against Morgan – which is said to have named multiple other individuals and entities – “contained facts sufficient to warrant an investigation.” Now, the findings of that investigation have been forwarded to the House panel for “disposition.”

The committee in charge of making a determination on the matter will be gaveled to order next Wednesday (June 11, 2025) at 10:30 a.m. EDT – a date which could wind up being a potentially disastrous day for the Freedom Caucus on multiple fronts.

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(S.C. House of Representatives)

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Morgan nearly ousted Timmons in their contentious race last spring, but came up just short. When all the votes were counted, Timmons received 36,533 votes in the June primary – or 51.6% of all ballots cast. Morgan received 34,259 votes, or 48.4% of all ballots cast.

As our original report noted, the complaint accused Morgan of the following:

• Using campaign funds for purposes unrelated to the campaign or the office
• Excessive contributions to a legislative caucus committee
• Per se impermissible contribution from campaign funds to another candidate
• Excessive contribution to other candidates
• Failure to include all private income on Statements of Economic Interests

The report also reportedly singled out Ivory Tusk Consulting – a firm run by embattled state representative RJ May III of West Columbia, S.C. As FITSNews reported last week, May’s indictment in connection with an ongoing federal investigation into the alleged possession of child sex abuse materials (CSAM, a.k.a. “child porn”) is said to be “imminent,” with sources familiar with the situation saying charges could come as soon as next week.

Could May land in ethics trouble on the same day he faces a criminal indictment? We will have to wait and see..

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According to our sources, Timmons’ complaint also named Innovative Communication Strategies – a consulting firm run by Columbia, S.C.-based political strategist Jon Parker. One of the allegations against Parker allegedly involved a December 2023 radio advertisement which targeted Timmons and former U.S. congressman Jeff Duncan. Several other lawmakers – including Morgan’s brother, state representative Alan Morgan – were also reportedly named in the complaint.

What sort of “disposition” should we expect in this case?

Working against those allegedly implicated by Timmons’ allegations is the fact this “ethics” panel is comprised almost exclusively of status quo “Republican” lawmakers and Democrats – two groups which have been overtly hostile to the Freedom Caucus during its three-year run in Columbia, S.C.

In other words, the typical bias lawmakers demonstrate when judging their own alleged ethical indiscretions – a.k.a. “move along, nothing to see here” – is unlikely to apply to Morgan, et al.

As regular members of our audience are doubtless aware, FITSNews generally writes favorably about the Freedom Caucus and its efforts to force the “Republican” majority to live up to its stated principles regarding lower taxes and limited government.

Far too often, that is a losing battle… but the caucus has successfully driven the narrative in the S.C. General Assembly for years, and last spring it picked up additional seats in the legislature despite the “Republican” establishment mounting a multi-district, multi-million dollar offensive against its members.

Clearly the caucus will be back in the establishment’s crosshairs in 2026… and depending on how the coming week goes, the status quo could finally have conservative lawmakers on their heels.

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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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