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by WILL FOLKS
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A North Carolina-based journalist has asked a South Carolina judge to unseal a decade-old family court file tied to Palmetto State first circuit solicitor David Pascoe – initiating a potentially explosive legal saga that could unfold against the backdrop of a fiercely competitive Republican primary for attorney general.
Pascoe is one of three Republican contenders running to replace incumbent top prosecutor Alan Wilson, who is stepping down to seek the South Carolina governorship. The veteran solicitor has campaigned aggressively against the Palmetto State’s ruling trial lawyer lobby, prompting a flood of attacks against his candidacy.
Jody Barr, an investigative reporter with Charlotte-based Queen City News, submitted the motion to unseal on May 18, 2026 in the hopes of obtaining “all filings in this case, including, but not limited to, the docket, pleadings, motions, affidavits, exhibits, (the) sealing order, and other orders.”
Barr noted his media outlet “seeks only to litigate access to public court records and does not seek to reopen the merits of the underlying family court action.”
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According to Barr, the filings in Pascoe’s case were sealed “without disclosure of the reasons… and without even the identity of the parties being known or knowable to the public.”
That’s not entirely true, though…
According to an April 20, 2017 order signed retired family court judge John M. Rucker – a former state lawmaker – the rationale for sealing these records was made manifestly clear.
“The parties’ rights to privacy outweighs the public’s right to view their record,” Rucker concluded.
Addressing the specifics of the case, Rucker noted Pascoe’s public position and the potential “impact” of the records that might otherwise be disclosed.
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“The parties believe there is some professional significance or public significance to this matter as the plaintiff is the solicitor for the first judicial circuit, which is an elected position within the state of South Carolina,” the order noted. “Further, plaintiff believes not having this matter sealed could have (an) impact on his duties as the prosecutor for the first judicial circuit and possible harm as a result of the disclosure of the settlement agreement.”
The order also referenced Pascoe’s involvement as the lead prosecutor in ‘ProbeGate,’ a criminal investigation into influence peddling at the S.C. State House.
“The plaintiff is the designated prosecutor for an ongoing investigation involving certain members of the South Carolina General Assembly,” the order continued, adding that certain members of the public “would be seeking to review (the) pleadings for prurient interests unrelated to the public welfare.”
Sound familiar? It should… we’ve been here before on previous political cases in prior election cycles.
In addition to seeking access to these files, Barr also asked the court for an “expedited hearing” owning to the fact the “records sought involved the elected and serving solicitor of the first judicial circuit of the state of South Carolina, who is also a candidate for attorney general of the state of South Carolina, in an election that is imminent.”
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Barr’s request for an expedited hearing was denied, but as a hand-written note on his filing indicated S.C. family court judge Jerrod Anderson had scheduled a hearing on the matter for 12:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, June 16, 2026 at the Calhoun County court house in St. Matthews S.C.
A subsequent order (.pdf) obtained by this media outlet has confirmed that hearing – which would take place one week after Pascoe faces voters in the GOP primary for governor.
Recent polling shows Pascoe, state senator Stephen Goldfinch and S.C. eighth circuit solicitor David Stumbo are locked in a close battle for the GOP nomination. In the event no candidate receives a majority of votes on the first ballot on June 9, 2026, the top two-vote getters would advance to a runoff election two weeks later – on June 23, 2026.
Were the primary election held told, Pascoe would likely quality for the runoff election.
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RELATED | PASCOE VOWS TO INVESTIGATE TRIAL LAWYER CORRUPTION
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In addition to Barr’s motion, Pascoe is also the focus of a civil complaint (.pdf) filed on May 19, 2026 alleging he failed to respond to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests seeking documents related to his travel and expenses and the travel and expenses of a subordinate attorney in his office.
While FITSNews has written exceedingly favorably on Pascoe both before and during his campaign for attorney general, our position on the sealing of family court files has been made abundantly clear over the years.
“The sealing of public records for influential individuals is standard operating procedure in South Carolina … yet another example of the preferential treatment received by those in power (or those with proximity to power) in the Palmetto State,” I noted in a 2020 post. “It works like this: When normal people screw up… everybody gets to read about their dirty laundry. When those with ‘connections’ screw up, the sordid details of their dirty deeds are kept under lock and key… zealously guarded by judges who clearly have no conception of the notion of equal protection under the law.”
Keep it tuned to FITSNews as we track this ongoing development and other breaking news tied to the attorney general’s race…
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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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