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South Carolina’s top prosecutor – and one of the top contenders to become its next governor – paid a visit to our studios recently to discuss his vision for the future of the Palmetto State.
Four-term attorney general Alan Wilson – who kicked off his campaign last month in his hometown of Lexington, S.C. – said one of his top priorities if elected would be to “DOGE South Carolina from top to bottom.”
That’s a reference to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an entity popularized at the national level by Elon Musk and at the state level by Isle of Palms, S.C. businessman Rom Reddy. According to Wilson, he wants to apply DOGE principles “from state agencies all the way down (to) school districts and municipal and county governments alike.”
On taxes, Wilson vowed to “eliminate the income tax” – but quickly pointed out that stimulating economic growth will not have the desired effect unless it is accompanied by meaningful enhancements to public safety.
“A core function of government is public safety,” he said. “When I talk to people across the political spectrum, whether they be on the left or the right, somewhere in the middle, everybody wants to feel safe.”
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Wilson also noted more work was needed to improve the Palmetto State’s judicial climate – which is perceived around the nation as being anti-business.
“I have spoken to businesses all over this country,” Wilson said. “One of the things they mention when talking about whether or not they want to set up shop in South Carolina is the litigation climate in our state.”
According to Wilson, “there’s a lot that we’re leaving on the table as a state.”
“I’m talking to Fortune 100 and 500 companies, CEOs, senior C Suite officials… in private sector companies who are telling me why they’re not coming to South Carolina,” Wilson said, referring to executives whose companies could be “investing hundreds of millions or billions of dollars in South Carolina.”
In addition to outlining his vision for the governor’s office, Wilson responded to recent broadsides from one of his top competitors for the office – U.S. congresswoman Nancy Mace. During an explosive speech from the floor of the House back in February, Mace accused four men – including her former fiancé Patrick Bryant – of rape and other alleged depravities.
She also accused Wilson of failing to take action against the four men – and other alleged victimizers.
“If Alan Wilson won’t do his job as South Carolina’s attorney general, I will do it for him,” Mace said.
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“I’m not going to comment on the truth or veracity of her allegations against those four individuals,” Wilson said by way of response. “There’s an investigation ongoing right now and I’m going to let that play out as it relates to the allegations.”
As for Mace’s specific criticism of him, Wilson said he had not heard of the case prior to her speech – and that he “can’t prosecute a case I don’t have.”
“I felt like that speech was very disingenuous,” he said. “I used to work with this individual, this member of congress, when they were in the State House – never had a problem. And I had seen this individual a couple of times last summer through the fall, and even saw them at the lighting of the menorah at Hanukkah in early January. Nothing was ever said to me.”
Wilson and I discussed a host of other issues – including a discussion of president Donald Trump‘s ‘Big Beautiful Bill” and the latest developments in the ‘Murdaugh Murders‘ crime and corruption saga, which his office successfully prosecuted.
To view the conversation in its entirety, click here.
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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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1 comment
This was a really good interview. I was looking to perhaps the LT Gov she also is good but he certainly put on a very clear and concise interview and shines on how he could become a great governor.