Suspended and indicted SC lawmaker had previously been accused of sexual misconduct
A year before South Carolina Rep. Rick Martin was indicted on a different set of charges and suspended from office, police investigated him for alleged criminal sexual misconduct with a minor.
In April 2020, a foster parent reported the alleged sexual misconduct incident, according to report released by the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office and obtained by The State. The matter was sent to the State Law Enforcement Division, the state’s investigative arm, who then sent it to the state Attorney General’s Office.
The Newberry Republican was not charged with the alleged criminal sexual misconduct, but in December 2021 was indicted on charges of misconduct in office for trying to influence a state agency’s investigation and contributing to the delinquency.
The attorney general’s office declined to comment on the matter, including why Martin was not charged for the alleged sexual misconduct.
Martin could not be reached for comment Tuesday morning.
He remains suspended from the House until his case is adjudicated.
Todd Rutherford, Martin’s attorney who also is the state House minority leader, called the allegations of sexual misconduct “completely without merit.”
In April 2020, the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office was first contacted about the alleged sexual misconduct after a foster parent reported that a child currently in their care — who had been in the care of Martin and his wife the year before — told them about the alleged incident.
Police reported that the minor said Martin drank a lot while she was in his care, and that he provided her with alcohol in January 2019 and she blacked out. The minor, the sheriff’s office reported, said she woke up with a “strange feeling in her private area” and found blood when she went to the bathroom.
The foster child was removed from Martin’s home in December 2019.
In court last month, prosecutors said all children were removed from the Martin home in December 2019 by the state Department of Social Services for a reason unrelated to his criminal case.
Martin was indicted by the attorney general’s office in early December for allegedly trying to influence a DSS investigation and providing a 16-year-old foster child with wine coolers in January 2019.
Prosecutors said in court that Martin called DSS Director Michael Leach and the department’s legislative liaison between December 2019 and the end of January 2020 and threatened to cut the agency’s budget unless the children were returned to his home. Martin is not a member of the committee that controls the state budget.
Martin has not served as a foster parent since December 2019, according to DSS.
A judge issued Martin a $10,000 personal recognizance bond after he opted for a jury trial, which has not been scheduled.
This story was originally published January 11, 2022 at 11:25 AM.
