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by JENN WOOD
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South Carolina state senator Josh Kimbrell filed a formal complaint with the S.C. Supreme Court’s Office of Disciplinary Counsel (ODC) this week, accusing two attorneys representing his former business partner of misconduct tied to an increasingly volatile dispute that has spilled well beyond the courtroom.
The complaint — submitted by Kimbrell against Greenville, S.C. attorneys Walt Wilkins and Lane Davis — marks a significant escalation in the long-running Exodus Aircraft litigation, which has already resulted in a judicial finding that Kimbrell and his wife violated court orders.
Kimbrell is also reportedly the focus of criminal scrutiny tied to the allegations leveled in the complaint against him and his wife, Liliya Kimbrell.
Unlike prior filings focused on alleged financial misconduct, this latest move by the beleaguered politician shifts the battlefield — targeting opposing counsel directly and attempting to reframe the debate.
In his filing, Kimbrell alleged Wilkins and Davis improperly advised a third party — identified as part-time Boiling Springs, S.C. firefighter Kyle Gilmore — to contact law enforcement following a heated social media exchange involving the senator and his family.
According to the complaint (.pdf), Gilmore — who is described as the spouse of a contractor connected to Exodus Aircraft — made personal attacks against Kimbrell and his wife on Facebook. Kimbrell acknowledged responding to those alleged attacks publicly.
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He claimed Gilmore then consulted Wilkins and Davis for legal advice, at which point the two attorneys allegedly directed him to contact authorities. Law enforcement agencies contacted by Gilmore reportedly included the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO), the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), and the Mauldin Police Department (MPD).
Kimbrell argued this sequence of events reflected an attempt by Wilkins – a former prosecutor – and his law partner to weaponize law enforcement for strategic advantage in both the pending civil litigation and the 2026 governor’s race.
He further alleged Wilkins and Davis violated ethical duties to Exodus Aircraft and its investors by engaging in actions without proper disclosure or consent.
Wilkins and Davis issued a statement to FITSNews flatly rebuking Kimbrell’s claims…
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“In what has now become a pattern and practice for Senator Kimbrell, he has continued with his lack of concern for truthfulness by filing an unequivocally false complaint against us,” the attorneys stated. “We have never represented Kyle Garrison or his wife. We have never even spoken to Kyle Garrison or his wife. We have never instructed Kyle Garrison or his wife to contact any law enforcement agency and we have never communicated with them about the inappropriate Facebook posts published by Senator Kimbrell where he threatened to interfere with the funding of a local fire department. Our firm’s lack of involvement can be readily and independently confirmed by merely interviewing the parties involved.”
“Josh Kimbrell is apparently attempting to defend a lawsuit against him with completely false and totally untrue statements,” the attorneys added.
Wilkins and Davis reiterated that Kimbrell and his wife had already been found “in contempt of court for destroying evidence,” citing the court’s determination that they engaged in “willful violation” of requirements to surrender records – and exhibited a “blatant disregard for the court’s orders and a lack of concern for truthfulness.”
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SOCIAL MEDIA FEUD SPARKS LAW ENFORCEMENT INVOLVEMENT
The complaint in question stems from a social media dispute between Gilmore and Kimbrell – one that has spilled from Facebook into police reports and now into the state’s attorney discipline system.
Screenshots showed Kimbrell responded to an apparently unrelated Facebook post by Gilmore — at one point warning that the Boiling Springs Fire Department “should not let you near a truck” and stating he would not “support additional state resources” for the department as long as he was employed there.
Take a look…
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Gilmore later filed a police report alleging harassment.
Kimbrell claimed this report was part of a coordinated effort involving Wilkins and Davis, who represent his former business partner, Frank George Rogers, in the civil case filed against him and his wife.
News of that case was first reported by FITSNews last summer. In public statements, the senator framed the entire episode as part of an ongoing campaign of “lawfare” tied to his gubernatorial run, asserting that he and his family have been targeted ever since he entered the race.
Kimbrell has consistently polled in last place in the 2026 governor’s race, drawing between 1% and 3% support.
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The Exodus aircraft case – in which Kimbrell allegedly stole $2 million from Rogers – has already produced significant legal consequences for Kimbrell. As previously reported by FITSNews, a Greenville County judge found that Kimbrell and his wife willfully violated court orders tied to the dispute — including deleting emails and interfering with company operations after being enjoined.
The court imposed monetary sanctions, ordered document production, and left open the possibility of additional penalties — findings that undercut Kimbrell’s longstanding public claims that the lawsuit was politically motivated.
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RELATED | STATE SENATOR HELD IN CONTEMPT OF COURT
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PRIVATE MESSAGES ADD NEW CONTEXT
Previously unreported communications obtained by this media outlet provided additional context to the relationship between Kimbrell and Boiling Springs fire chief Scott Miller — as well as the evolving dispute involving Gilmore.
The messages, exchanged over several months, reflected a friendly and collaborative tone between Kimbrell and Miller, with discussions ranging from scheduling and department operations to local events and legislative matters.
But they also show a growing focus on Gilmore — and efforts to eliminate his role within the department.
“That guy is evil and has done horrible things to my family,” Kimbrell wrote in one message. “He is an evil man.”
Kimbrell later added he would “never come to any event there as long as (Gilmore) is there.”
“I’ll be your ally, but he’s a liar, and a deviant,” Kimbrell wrote.
Over time, the messages escalated…
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In multiple messages, Kimbrell used derogatory language to describe Gilmore — including slurs — while characterizing him as a problem for the department and someone the chief should not be associated with.
“I love you and your department but that fag is a stain,” Kimbrell wrote in one message.
In another message, Kimbrell told the chief he couldn’t “ever be fully on the team until that nut swinger bisexual liberal Kyle is gone.”
Other messages reflected discussions about keeping Gilmore off schedules and limiting his involvement, with Kimbrell at one point asking whether Gilmore could be “permanently ban(ned)” from participation.
The communications also touched on broader coordination between the senator and the department, including references to legislative funding and operational support.
While the messages did not explicitly reference any formal action taken against Gilmore, they are likely to intensify scrutiny over whether political influence was improperly exerted in personnel and operational decisions.
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RELATED | JOSH KIMBRELL: BLOODSPORT POLITICS AND THE PRICE OF PRINCIPLE
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LEGAL QUESTIONS EMERGE OVER FUNDING THREATS
Kimbrell’s public threat to withhold “state resources” from the Boiling Springs Fire Department – and his private messages to its leader – could also raise additional problems for the scandal-scarred senator.
Under South Carolina law, public officials may not use their office to obtain personal benefits or to coerce actions unrelated to legitimate governmental purposes. Legal experts say that conditioning public funding on personal grievances — or attempting to influence personnel decisions through legislative authority — could potentially fall within the scope of misconduct in office.
That offense, while not always criminally charged, has historically been defined as the unlawful use of official power for improper purposes — including instances in which coercion, retaliation, or abuse of authority is involved.
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LEGAL STRATEGY — OR POLITICAL COUNTEROFFENSIVE?
From a procedural standpoint, Kimbrell’s complaint against the two attorneys representing his former business partner faces a high bar. For starters, the Office of Disciplinary Counsel evaluates whether attorneys violated professional rules — not whether underlying litigation claims are valid. Allegations of improper legal advice, misuse of law enforcement, or undisclosed conflicts would need to be supported by clear evidence of ethical breaches.
At the same time, the filing clearly served a parallel purpose: it extended Kimbrell’s broader argument that the Exodus lawsuit — and subsequent events — are part of a coordinated effort to damage him politically.
The ODC will ultimately determine whether Kimbrell’s complaint warrants a formal investigation or dismissal at intake — a process that typically unfolds outside public view unless disciplinary action is pursued.
Meanwhile, the underlying civil case continues to move forward in Greenville County, where the stakes remain substantial: potential financial liability, expanded claims involving additional defendants, and ongoing scrutiny of the Kimbrells’ conduct under court orders.
With litigation, politics, and now professional discipline all intersecting, the Exodus Aircraft saga is no longer just a business dispute. It has become a multi-front battle — one playing out simultaneously in the courtroom, social media, the governor’s race and now the state’s attorney disciplinary system.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
As a private investigator turned journalist, Jenn Wood brings a unique skill set to FITSNews as its research director. Known for her meticulous sourcing and victim-centered approach, she helps shape the newsroom’s most complex investigative stories while producing the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts. Jenn lives in South Carolina with her family, where her work continues to spotlight truth, accountability, and justice.
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11 comments
Kimbrell is obviously mentally ill. The legislature should vote to remove him from his seat. He’s a loose cannon
Can we fast forward to the part where Josh Kimbrell withdraws from the race and resigns from the Senate to “focus on” his family and then quietly slides into obscurity. And bankruptcy.
Forgive me for my confusion, but who is “Garrison”?
Kimbrell called the firefighter Garrison in his first complaint that he posted. He changed the name in the amended complaint.
Josh Kimbrell needs to go..he should not be in any public office.
Kimbrell is a morally flexible imbecile. Therefore, he was born to serve in the State Senate.
PS though calling a man a fag is a step up for a normal gay bashing pol.
Garrison or Gilmore? Are they even talking of the same person?
Kimbrell called the firefighter Garrison in his first complaint that he posted. He changed the name in the amended complaint.
Curious, though, about who released the ODC complaints? I thought these things are supposed to be confidential, at least at the investigation stage.
But I always has to remind my still-naive self: theory and reality are two different things. “Should not” does not in reality mean “cannot.”
Oh, well!
Kimbrell posted them on his Facebook page. I think they are confidential from ODC, but I suppose the person making the complaint can publish a copy of what they submit.
Thanks for the info.