Ex-Rep. Harrison wants judge to toss out special prosecutor’s charges against him
Former state Rep. Jim Harrison, R-Richland, and his lawyers will go before a state judge next week to ask that criminal charges against him be dismissed.
Harrison contends special prosecutor David Pascoe and a state grand jury did not have enough evidence to indict him on multiple criminal charges last October, according to a motion filed with the state grand jury. Harrison also wants the judge to make Pascoe show what evidence he has.
The charges against Harrison — statutory misconduct in office, common-law misconduct and criminal conspiracy — date from his 12 years as an influential member of the S.C. House of Representatives. Harrison was in the Legislature from 1989 to 2012, when he did not seek re-election.
In a counter-motion, Pascoe asks Circuit Court Judge Carmen Mullen to dismiss Harrison’s motion, adding the state grand jury spent “many hours” reviewing evidence against Harrison before indicting him Oct. 18.
Mullen set a hearing on the motions for 2:30 p.m. Aug. 15 at the Richland County Courthouse.
The charges stem from allegations that Harrison secretly was paid roughly $900,000 by GOP godfather Richard Quinn Sr.’s consulting firm from 2000 to 2012.
During much of that time, Harrison was chairman of the powerful House Judiciary Committee, which considers all proposed new state laws. Forty percent of all House legislation passes the Judiciary Committee.
Harrison violated state law by keeping the Quinn payments secret, Pascoe has said in hearings. During those same years, the Quinn firm was lobbying the Legislature for various influential S.C. businesses, including SCANA, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, the University of South Carolina and Palmetto Health hospitals., Pascoe has charged.
In his motion to Judge Mullen, Harrison attorney Reggie Lloyd, a former director of the State Law Enforcement Division, argues the money that Harrison received from Richard Quinn & Associates was paid only for various “political campaign consulting duties.” Harrison did no specific work for Quinn’s clients who had business before the General Assembly, Lloyd argues.
Pascoe declined to comment Tuesday.
Lloyd said he is hopeful that Mullen will throw out the charges against Harrison.
If Mullen doesn’t dismiss the charges, Harrison’s trial could take place in October, Lloyd said. Harrison is looking forward to being acquitted, the attorney added. “We have asserted all along that Jim Harrison is innocent.”
Since 2014, three sitting S.C. House members and a state senator — all Republicans — have been indicted on charges of misconduct in office as part of Pascoe’s ongoing investigation into State House corruption. All resigned as part of plea deals with the special prosecutor, whose investigators include SLED agents.
The three House members pleaded guilty and received probation. State Sen. John Courson, R-Richland, pleaded guilty and has yet to be sentenced.
As part of Pascoe’s investigation, the Quinn consulting firm also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of failing to register as a lobbyist. Quinn also agreed to testify before the state grand jury as part of that plea deal.
This story was originally published August 7, 2018 at 4:36 PM.