The Bobby Harrell investigation — or whatever it is, or was — continues to be as weird as ever.
Over the weekend, the speaker triumphantly announced that the grand jury investigation of him is over, and his nemesis, Attorney General Alan Wilson, is off the case.
Then, John Monk (who, as you’ll recall, first reported that Harrell was trying secretly to get Wilson kicked off the case) got “sources familiar with the matter” to confirm that the investigation is continuing, now being overseen by 1st Circuit Solicitor David Pascoe rather than Wilson.
Pascoe isn’t commenting. Neither is Wilson.
So. We don’t really know what is going on. But I agree with the conclusion of an editorial in The State today that said at some point, somebody needs to tell us, the people, what’s going on:
But here’s what we do know: Now that the Grand Jury no longer is empaneled, it cannot be argued that there is a legal prohibition on releasing the SLED report. And if Mr. Harrell’s victory dance has any basis — if in fact whatever remains of the criminal investigation is merely pro forma — then there is no reason that Mr. Wilson or Mr. Pascoe or whoever has possession of the report should not release it. Immediately.
For that matter, we don’t understand what legal basis there could be for Mr. Wilson refusing to comment on the status of the case. But then, there has been a lot about this case whose legal basis we have not understood.
It’s understandable that Mr. Wilson wouldn’t want to speak in detail and that the report would remain hidden from the public if the criminal investigation is indeed continuing. But even that must end at some point.
Whenever it ends, and however it ends, the attorney general must give an accounting for the way he has handled the case, and the SLED report must be released to the public. Not just because the subject of the probe has been so adamant in demanding its release, but because the voters need to know who has been doing his job and who has been abusing his office: our attorney general, or the speaker of the House.
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As I posted in the Open Thread, but was ignored midst the 86 replies, I think it’s still on, even though the grand jury is done….
Yes, I noticed that, hence the separate post. It’s the only important current local story (unless you count “Police: Rock Hill man, pregnant wife assault each other with cleaning supplies“), and didn’t deserve to be ignored that way.
Headlines serve a purpose — they’re harder to ignore…
I was tempted earlier to post something facetious about the cleaning supplies incident, but when I saw the word “pregnant,” I realized there wasn’t anything funny about the situation. Not that there was to begin with…
It’s funny in a cartoonish way. But with real people not at all. Hopefully, this is something they will both seriously regret.
I bet Alan Wilson removed himself to dodge the bullet loaded by SC Supremes.
If the Grand Jury expired and a Solicitor starts a new process, does that then lead to this ending up with a Judge other than Manning?
Whatever, the story may be it clearly has not yet been entirely written – despite Harrell’s depiction.
This fits the description of a Rube Goldberg machine. Why this straight-forward investigation has become so complicated is beyond me.