There's been a lot of talk about the Bobby Harrell case today.
Specifically....Judge Casey Manning's ruling that SLED....the State Attorney General ...and the state grand jury....can't investigate possible criminal wrongdoing by the Speaker of the House.
judge Manning ordered the investigation be shut down immediately......saying only the House Ethics Committee can investigate possible ethics violation.
As a result....a lot of people are mad at the judge....when fact they're mad at the wrong person...or people ....in this case..
Manning was just following the laws that are on the books...laws that were written by state lawmakers.
Under THEIR rules....lawmakers investigate their own.
if they're accused of using their position in any unlawful manner....their friends and colleagues determine their guilt....and that doesn't seem fair.
It oozes of corruption and mis-trust...and It seems they should abide by the same set of rules you and are expected to follow.
Look at it this way....when you're called to jury duty.....if you have any type of connection to the defendant....you cant serve.
It just wouldn't look right....smell right....or be right in any fashion.
under THEIR laws...if a lawmaker gets caught spending campaign money illegally...they get a chance to pay it back....and they dont have a criminal record.
But If you or I spend money we illegally obtained.....chances are were standing before a judge...were paying the money back and we're getting a prison sentence.
In his ruling, Judge Manning said the attorney general didn't present any evidence of criminal wrongdoing on Harrell's behalf.
But the SLED chief did tell Judge Manning their investigation showed other possible wrongdoing by the house speaker--.unrelated to the original ethics complaints.
To be clear...I don't know if Bobby Harrell is guilty of anything here, I hope he's not.
But it would seem if he's got nothing to hide.... then.... why put up such a fight.
Why not say...OK, Mr. Attorney General you win. Lets take this before a jury a real jury and not the House Ethics committee where i know everybody.
A move like that would clear up any questions of criminal wrongdoing and perhaps instill some trust by the public.
Meanwhile, here's a good idea, will any lawmaker watching this please introduce a bill doing away with your double standards?
if not....then the good ole boy system in South Carolina will never end.