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by WILL FOLKS
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A candidate for the South Carolina House of Representatives is responding unconventionally – and quite publicly – to his recent arrest on charges tied to a statewide drug investigation.
Jesse Turner, who is running for S.C. House District 11 (.pdf) in the June 9, 2026 Republican primary election, took to social media on Friday evening (April 24, 2026) to address his indictment and arrest earlier in the day on charges of conspiracy, marijuana trafficking and marijuana possession.
“Do I take a good mugshot or what?” Turner began his post.
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The 35-year-old veteran and self-proclaimed social conservative proceeded to tell his supporters he was “still running for office.”
“That isn’t changing,” Turner wrote. “I will never stop trying to fix this broken system we have. Ever. I don’t care what false allegations or false charges they throw. I don’t back down and if you vote for me come June 9th you’ll see that. I’m here and I’m going to continue to fight for our rights and for those that can’t fight back. I didn’t serve overseas fighting for freedom just to come back home and watch everything we fought for get trampled on.”
District 11 is a staunchly Republican seat that includes Abbeville County and parts of Anderson and Laurens counties. It is currently held by status quo “Republican” Craig Gagnon.
As for the charges filed against him, Turner described them as “bogus.”
“I’m ready for court, because that’s where the truth comes out,” Turner wrote. “Not rumors, not headlines, not opinions…facts. They need to stop delaying it. I beg for a speedy trial and eagerly await the day.”
“I’ll let the truth speak for itself in court and I’ll keep speaking for you on the campaign trail,” he added.
A preliminary hearing in this case – which was first reported on by FITSNews last week – had reportedly been scheduled for next Tuesday (April 28, 2026), but prosecutors apparently decided to initiate the arrests instead. According to our sources, the decision to move forward with the arrests came after defense attorneys objected to a request from the state to continue the preliminary hearing.
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The arrest of Turner, in particular, was highly unorthodox as prosecutors typically wait until after an election is over before arresting or indicting candidates for office who are facing non-violent charges – and who are not believed to pose any immediate danger to themselves, those close to them or the public at large.
“They’re playing politics with justice,” one source familiar with the investigation told FITSNews.
Turner and a co-defendant, Mikell D. Fairey, are each facing two counts of marijuana trafficking, one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and one count of conspiracy. Boatwright is facing all of those charges – and a separate criminal count alleging money laundering. He was previously arrested in December on the initial charges tied to this investigation, although that news did not break until last week – when our Jenn Wood first reported on it.
Boatwright is represented by Seneca attorney Catherine Wyse, while Turner is represented by Greenville attorney Erika Baldwin.
The underlying drug case is being investigated by the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), while the prosecution of the three defendants is being led by Creighton Waters, chief of the statewide grand jury and formerly the lead prosecutor on the famed ‘Murdaugh Murders‘ case.
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According to Turner’s post, the state’s prosecution of him is inextricably intertwined with his candidacy for higher office.
“People keep asking me, ‘Is it worth it? Why go through all this?’” Turner wrote. “Simple. If they can violate my rights, they can violate yours. And if they’re willing to come after someone who can afford to fight back, imagine what’s happening to the people who can’t.”
Turner added he had “heard the rumors that I’m running because of this case.”
“That’s false,” he said. “Being in office won’t affect this case at all. It will be handled in court, where it belongs. But fixing the bigger problem? That’s exactly why I’m running.”
“We need real judicial and criminal justice reform,” he concluded. “Our politicians have failed us. They’ve stayed in so long that they no longer represent the people, and just represent themselves.”
Turner faces voters on June 9, 2026. It’s unclear when he and his co-defendants are next scheduled to face the court. Keep it tuned to FITSNews for updates…
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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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