Rom Reddy’s Strip Club Drama Intensifies

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by WILL FOLKS

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With newly minted South Carolina gubernatorial hopeful Rom Reddy declining to participate in the first Republican candidate’s debate in Newberry, S.C. this week, Palmetto politicos were left to continue focusing on a minor (for now) scandal involving several leaders of his nascent campaign for governor.

As we exclusively reported earlier this week, the multimillionaire Isle of Palms businessman controversially fired one of his four regional campaign directors for visiting a strip club following a campaign stop in Greenville, S.C. last week.

According to a campaign statement posted to social media on Sunday afternoon (March 29, 2026), Reddy was “provided credible information that one of our 20-something campaign staffers visited a strip club.”

“We immediately terminated this individual,” the statement continued. “We informed him that actions have consequences.”

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Reddy himself was quoted in the statement announcing the termination of his regional director.

“Our view is that individuals and entities must be held accountable for their actions and it starts with our own team,” he said.

The founder of the since-scuttled DOGE SC movement did not identify the staffer in question, but FITSNews was able to independently confirm Midlands regional director Parker Gogan of Lugoff, S.C. was the employee who was fired. Gogan’s hiring as Reddy’s top staffer in central South Carolina had been announced just six days previously – although the announcement has since been scrubbed from Reddy’s social media.

Should Gogan have been fired, though?

State representative Justin Bamberg had plenty to say on that subject… calling Reddy out for opposing individual liberty as well as failing to support South Carolina “small businesses.”

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Should an adult get FIRED from a campaign for visiting the Gentlemen’s or Gentleladies’ Ballet ? on private time?? Let’s talk about it on this short episode of BAMtv! ?

Newsbreak via @fitsnews pic.twitter.com/fK8NZ0VcmG

— Justin Bamberg, Esq. (@JustinBamberg) March 31, 2026

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While Reddy’s decision to fire Gogan has been criticized, his decision to retain another one of his regional directors who also allegedly visited the strip club on the evening in question has sparked considerable discussion.

As we noted in our report, Gogan was not the only Reddy for Governor field director who allegedly attended the Greenville, S.C.-based Trophy Club last week. According to multiple sources familiar with the situation, Upstate regional director Justin Lane of Clinton, S.C. joined him, as did at least one other individual affiliated with Reddy’s campaign.

“It is not immediately clear why the campaign terminated one of these regional directors but not the other,” we noted in our prior coverage.

In addition to his work on Reddy’s campaign, Lane is an elected leader on Laurens County council – representing the citizens of district seven. He secured this seat in 2024, defeating former state representative David Tribble Jr. in a Republican runoff election.

Lane’s hiring as Upstate regional director was announced by Reddy’s campaign last Sunday (March 22, 2026).

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????? Strip club drama in the South Carolina governor's race as multimillionaire @RomReddySC announced the termination of one of two campaign field directors who (on their own time/dime) visited an Upstate adult entertainment venue last week. Why was one fired and not the… pic.twitter.com/KHGGSvFK6K

— FITSNews (@fitsnews) March 30, 2026

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Reddy’s campaign has not responded to inquiries from FITSNews regarding Lane’s status with the organization. Similarly, Lane has not responded to phone and text messages from our media outlet seeking comment.

Here’s the key question we believe needs to be answered: if Reddy genuinely believes visiting a strip club is a fireable offense (a curious position for a self-styled defender of liberty to take), why was only one of his regional directors terminated?

Why not both?

If “actions have consequences” – and if individuals “must be held accountable for their actions” – why is Lane not also being shown the door?

Ordinarily, after-hours indulgences by campaign staffers do not warrant media headlines – but Reddy’s uneven, ham-fisted handling of this situation (including the ill-advised public statement confirming the initial termination) has succeeded in generating them. Combined with his debate dodge and questionable cannibalizing of the DOGE SC movement, it’s the latest indicator of an undisciplined operation.

Which has some questioning whether Reddy is ready for prime time…

Reddy is one of six candidates vying for the Republican nomination for governor of South Carolina. Four-term attorney general Alan Wilson, first district congresswoman Nancy Mace, lieutenant governor Pamela Evette, fifth district congressman Ralph Norman and state senator Josh Kimbrell are also running.

Wilson, Mace, Norman and Kimbrell have all committed to debate in Newberry, S.C. this Wednesday evening (April 1, 2026). Reddy and Evette have thus far declined to commit – with Reddy indicating he will not participate.

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UPDATE |

Eleven hours after this story went to print, Reddy reversed course and agreed to participate in the debate.

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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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