SC Rep. Marvin Pendarvis resigns from House amid legal troubles. Here’s what we know
State Rep. Marvin Pendarvis, D-Charleston, has resigned from the South Carolina House of Representatives, according to Speaker Murrell Smith’s office.
Pendarvis’ name has been removed from the State House website. He filed to run for reelection this year and did not have any general election challengers.
The State Election Commission has yet to receive notice of Pendarvis’ intent to withdraw from the race. Regardless, election officials say it’s too late to remove his name from the ballot.
Pendarvis, 34, was suspended from the bar by the South Carolina Supreme Court after he was accused in a lawsuit of legal malpractice and of committing “unfair and deceptive practices” under the South Carolina Unfair Trade Practices Act. The lawsuit — filed April 11 by attorneys Eric Bland and Ronnie Richter on behalf of Adrian Lewis, Pendarvis’ former client — claims, among other things, that Pendarvis forged a client’s signature in order to secure a settlement for a amount far smaller than was promised.
When the alleged duplicity was discovered, Pendarvis used funds from his law firm’s trust account to try to pay off his client, according to the lawsuit.
The Supreme Court’s order did not specify why the license was suspended, including whether it was connected to the lawsuit.
Pendarvis has been in the House since 2017, representing parts of Charleston and Dorchester counties. He served on the Medical, Military, and Municipal and Legislative Oversight Committees.
He took office just three years after graduating from University of South Carolina Law School in 2014, the same year he was admitted to the South Carolina Bar. He received his undergraduate degree from USC in 2011.
His legal practice, Pendarvis Law LLC, in North Charleston specializes in personal injury and criminal defense.
“Serving in the South Carolina House of Representatives has been the honor of my life,” Pendarvis wrote in his resignation letter. “Because of my respect for this body and for the residents of my district, I have made the difficult decision to resign from my seat. The residents of District 113 deserve a representative who can devote full time to their needs, and I cannot do that at this time.”
This story was originally published September 19, 2024 at 10:40 AM.
