Suspended city councilman protests governor’s decision

Columbia City Council member Moe Baddourah was suspended from office late Monday afternoon until a criminal domestic violence charge against him is resolved.

Baddourah was suspended by Gov. Henry McMaster.

The council member was charged with second-degree criminal domestic violence Jan. 18 in an incident last year involving his estranged wife.

“... The accusation against me is false, and appears to be designed to impact my custody case. I never assaulted my wife, or touched her in any way,” Baddourah said in a statement.

“It’s troubling that the governor would suspend a public official for an alleged misdemeanor without a conviction,” he said . “It’s hard to see how this serves the public interest, as it leaves the people of District 3 without representation on City Council.

“Based on our research, this would be the first time in the state’s history a governor has used this offense to attempt to suspend an elected official.

“Our further legal research suggests that the authority of the Governor to suspend is limited to crimes of moral turpitude, which are generally crimes of dishonesty or moral depravity -- neither of which apply here.

For months, Baddourah said in a statement to the press in January, he has been in “the middle of an unpleasant divorce and custody battle.” He and his wife have two young children, ages 4 and 6.

The incident Baddourah is charged with stems from an argument he and his wife had last summer, when he allegedly slammed his estranged wife’s leg in a car door after an argument at Rockaway Athletic Club restaurant and bar on Rosewood Drive, according to a report by the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.

The second-term councilman, who represents District 3, ran unsuccessfully for mayor against incumbent Steve Benjamin in 2013. Baddourah has been known for standing up for small-business interests and frequently butting heads with Benjamin.

Baddourah for about a year taught at the University of South Carolina and ran the school’s McCutchen House restaurant on the Horseshoe. He quit several weeks ago during a probationary period stemming from concerns about his performance.

Before that, he owned and operated the former Moe’s Grapevine restaurant on Rosewood Drive.

This story was originally published March 13, 2017 at 6:53 PM with the headline "Suspended city councilman protests governor’s decision."