SC lawmakers blast GOP official over ‘N-word’ post

S.C. lawmakers are vowing to remove a Charleston official from a state-appointed board over a social media post that calls former President Barack Obama the N-word.

However, Bobby Miller, a Charleston real estate developer, told The State he did not make the offending post, adding his Facebook account recently had been hacked.

But Facebook posts obtained by AP from Miller's account show multiple instances of racial epithets used to reference the former president – as well as other prominent black politicians, including U.S. Reps. John Lewis and Frederica Wilson – some dating back as early as mid-2017.

State Sen. Marlon Kimpson, D-Charleston said Wednesday that Miller “will be fired” from the Charleston Transportation Committee over a post of Obama’s presidential portrait that calls him “nothin but a Chicago street (N-word).”

Miller has been on the committee that allocates state transportation money for Charleston County projects for years. But Miller said Wednesday that he hasn’t attended a committee meeting since last August and no longer considers himself an active member.

“I’m completely out of politics,” Miller said.

Kimpson and other lawmakers railed against the post Wednesday. Kimpson compared Miller with the Ku Klux Klan on Twitter.

“We've been looking for folks in the woods with robes and hoods, while he sits in plain view spewing hate from the CTC,” Kimpson said.

State Sen. Margie Bright Matthews, D-Colleton, also said senators would remove Miller from the committee.

“His decisions on CTC determines which roads would be fixed,” Bright Matthews tweeted. “... (G)o see if he ever helped fix roads in minority areas.”

State Rep. Peter McCoy, R-Charleston, said Miller also should be removed from the Charleston County Republican Party’s executive committee.

“This behavior cannot & will not be tolerated,” McCoy posted. “What an absolute embarrassment. I call on Repub leaders to do the same.”

Miller is listed as a committee member on the county party’s website but said he has not attended a GOP meeting “in years.”

On Wednesday, Charleston GOP chairman Larry Kobrovsky condemned Miller's postings, saying he wasn't sure if he could remove him from the precinct captain position but, if not, would ask him to resign.

State GOP Chairman Drew McKissick also condemned Miller's comments, saying they had no place in the Republican Party and represented the thoughts of only one person “with zero respect for others.”

Miller said he thinks Kimpson’s objective is to replace him on the Transportation Committee with his own appointee.

“He wants to put one of his people on the board,” Miller said. “If he wants to put somebody from the NAACP on there, that’s fine, because as far as I know, I’m not on it.”

The post was no longer visible on Miller’s Facebook page Wednesday afternoon, but Miller had posted another comment.

“(F)rom time to time I sprinkle in sharp political parody, and share political stuff that others post, as everyone does! If this offends you then you should unfriend me,” the post reads.

“I have been told that some of my post offended those of the democrat leaning! What are they doing on my FB Page anyway?”

This story was originally published February 14, 2018 at 4:23 PM with the headline "SC lawmakers blast GOP official over ‘N-word’ post."