Sources: SLED raid seized trove of documents at Quinn firm
A raid by State Law Enforcement Division agents on the offices of Richard Quinn & Associates has resulted in the seizure of boxes of documents and other data, according to multiple sources.
SLED agents went to the Columbia area offices of the Quinn firm, for decades one of the most influential political consulting operations in South Carolina, as part of the ongoing, secret public corruption probe being conducted by Special Prosecutor David Pascoe, the sources said.
The SLED agents were executing a State Grand Jury search warrant, and the raid took place several weeks ago, the sources said. The agents simply showed up with the warrant, sources said.
“They got a lot of stuff, and they’re going through every bit of it,” one source said.
Another source said, “The SLED agents got armloads of stuff.”
SLED also recently has beefed up the number of agents assigned to the pack of agents already investigating the case, several sources said.
The State newspaper isn’t naming some sources because they are not authorized to speak on the record to the media. Other sources said they did not want to be identified because of the confidentiality attached to the State Grand Jury process.
In an interview with The State on Thursday, Richard Quinn had no comment on whether SLED had seized material from his consulting firm.
“We have not done anything wrong,” Quinn said.
No charges have been filed against Quinn.
Pascoe told The State he had no comment. SLED Chief Mark Keel said, “It would be improper to comment on an ongoing investigation.”
In a related matter, sources told The State that defense lawyers in the case are trying remove Pascoe from the investigation because they say he is not objective. Also, sources said, Quinn’s and possibly others’ defense lawyers – whose names could not be confirmed Thursday – also have raised questions about whether Pascoe and his investigators have a right to see some of the material seized from the Quinn firm.
SLED’s seizure of documents at Quinn’s offices is sure to attract attention.
His firm, founded in 1978, has a star-studded client list that has included Gov. Henry McMaster, Attorney General Alan Wilson, Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin, the University of South Carolina, the S.C. Ports Authority and other state agencies, prominent businesses and powerful S.C. politicians. The sprawling networks of influential people Quinn has connections with have caused it to be dubbed “the Quinndom.”
In addition, former Quinn employees occupy high and well-paid positions at the offices of some of the officials whose elections Richard Quinn helped engineer. For example, Gov. McMaster’s chief of staff is Trey Walker, who once worked for Quinn. Walker makes $165,000 a year.
In recent months, Pascoe’s investigation has resulted in two indictments against prominent S.C. General Assembly lawmakers.
In December, Pascoe indicted Rep. Jim Merrill, R-Berkeley, on misconduct in office and ethics charges. He has pleaded not guilty and is free on bond after being suspended from office. Merrill had no connections to the Quinn firm.
Last week, Pascoe indicted Sen. John Courson, R-Richland, one of the most respected officeholders in South Carolina. Courson, who has been suspended from his post, was charged with misconduct in office in connection with payments he received from Quinn after he paid Quinn with campaign funds. Courson’s lawyer, Rose Mary Parham, has said he is innocent.
The Quinn firm was mentioned in a 2013 SLED investigative report concerning potential public corruption in the S.C. General Assembly.
That SLED mention of Richard Quinn & Associates was kept from public view until last year, when The State newspaper obtained access to the confidential portions of the report and published a story. The report did not charge the Quinn firm with any wrong-doing but mentioned it as a political consulting firm that did business with House of Representatives candidates.
Quinn has prominent admirers, but he also has critics.
Earlier this week, former S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley, now U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in New York City, sent out a Tweet criticizing Quinn, telling her 240,700 Twitter followers that she had experienced the “wrath” of the firm in 2010 when she ran for governor.
In that race, Haley demolished her opponent and Quinn client McMaster, who is now governor, in a bitterly fought Republican primary.
“SC consultants will do Everything to maintain control and keep the money flowing,” Haley tweeted. She did not elaborate.
Quinn said Thursday that although Haley beat McMaster, McMaster then supported her in the general election “and helped her win. I have been very supportive of her ever since.”
Suspended state Sen. Courson being treated for cancer
Suspended state Sen. John Courson disclosed Thursday that he is being treated for a serious and sometimes fatal form of skin cancer.
However, the Richland Republican, who was indicted last week and accused of converting campaign money to personal use, told The State he has no plans to resign his Senate seat.
Courson, 72, said he was diagnosed with malignant melanoma in December 2015 and told the average life expectancy for similar patients is six months to a year.
He said he is receiving treatment every three weeks at S.C. Oncology Associates in Columbia.
“I’m a Marine. I don’t run from a fight,” Courson said.
Courson has denied the corruption charges but is not speaking publicly about his indictment.
He said he had kept the diagnosis quiet until last week, when he began telling fellow legislators who called after his indictment.
Avery Wilks
This story was originally published March 23, 2017 at 7:02 PM with the headline "Sources: SLED raid seized trove of documents at Quinn firm."