SC senator was charged with DUI, lying to police. Now, a GOP group wants him to quit

Calls for a state senator to resign from his posts are starting to mount, just days after he was charged with DUI and providing false information to the police.

The South Carolina Club for Growth – a conservative political action group – has called for S.C. Sen. Paul Campbell, R-Berkeley, to step aside immediately, following his Saturday arrest in Berkeley County on Interstate 26.

“Senator Campbell has lost the public’s trust and can no longer effectively advocate for his constituents nor can he command respect from his fellow legislators as chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee,” said R.J. May III, the group’s executive director, in a written release.

May questioned Campbell’s demeanor during his bond hearing on Sunday. He cited The Post and Courier’s report that Campbell – who is accused of rear-ending another vehicle while driving under the influence – smiled when the mother of the driver said she could have been planning her daughter’s funeral instead of her wedding.

The incident allegedly took place on I-26 near mile marker 204 around 9:15 p.m. Saturday, according to the S.C. Highway Patrol.

Michaela Caddin, the 21-year-old driver who was rear ended, said Campbell repeatedly asked her if she was willing to get off I-26 to discuss the accident, according to the Post and Courier. He also is accused of telling her, “just let me know what you want to do,” and handing her his state Senate business card.

Campbell’s wife, Vicki, was also charged with providing false information to police because they switched seats after the senator failed to stop and hit the back of a Caddin’s Jeep, the Associated Press reported.

Campbell failed field sobriety tests. He declined to go into specifics regarding the incident to The State.

“I've just been told to keep my mouth shut about it and see what comes out in court,” he said. “I think we've got a pretty good case.”

On Monday, the South Carolina chapter of the National Action Network called for Campbell to resign from his post at the Charleston County Aviation Authority, according to The Journal Scene.

As of Sunday, Campbell was not expected to be suspended from the S.C. Senate because he had not been charged with anything that would invoke the automatic suspension rule, said Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield.

This story was originally published November 7, 2017 at 10:19 AM with the headline "SC senator was charged with DUI, lying to police. Now, a GOP group wants him to quit."