Will RJ May be expelled from SC House? Here’s what would need to happen
House Majority Leader Davey Hiott, R-Pickens, started the process Friday to remove state Rep. RJ May and expel him from the South Carolina General Assembly, amid calls from Republicans for May to leave his seat.
May, who was the driving force behind the creation of South Carolina’s hard-line conservative House Freedom Caucus, which is often at odds with the House Republicans, is sitting in a jail after being indicted on 10 counts for distributing child sexual abuse material, included graphic videos toddlers.
A federal magistrate judge denied bond to May, who represents House District 88 in Lexington County. The judge said she believed May was a danger to the community and a flight risk.
Expulsion from the House requires a two-thirds vote of a chamber.
House Speaker Murrell Smith suspended May on Thursday without pay after the indictment was unsealed. It keeps May from receiving the monthly stipend for in-district expenses. His regular $10,400 salary for the year has already been paid out.
With the General Assembly adjourned until January, May won’t be missing any legislative votes for the rest of the year. So, the immediate effect on his suspension is not on House floor, but rather on his ability to address constituent concerns or questions.
Smith would have to call back the chamber in order for an expulsion vote to take place.
As of Friday, the speaker has not yet sent a notice to members that he is calling members back to Columbia before next year. In the meantime, Hiott filed a formal complaint with the House Ethics Committee to swiftly and thoroughly investigate May and his business dealings with other members of the House.
During Thursday’s hearing on whether May should be detained pending trial, a Homeland Security investigator described graphic videos of child sexual abuse May distributed through an app. Some of those videos included toddlers. May also allegedly traveled to Colombia in order to meet with female sex workers who appeared to be under 18 years old.
Hiott said in an interview that he wanted the House Ethics Committee to look into whether any of May’s activities were done from the State House grounds.
“I believe the findings were so horrendous and heinous and heartbreaking, I believe and the leadership of the caucus believes it’s something we need to investigate right now,” Hiott said in an interview.
The House Freedom Caucus, which has been seeking to publicly distance themselves from May, called for him to resign. On Friday, the S.C. Republican Party called on May to resign from the seat immediately.
State Rep. Hamilton Grant, D-Richland, called on Gov. Henry McMaster to remove May from office, but the governor’s removal powers do not include members of the General Assembly or the judiciary.
State Rep. Justin Bamberg, D-Bamberg, also took to social media to express his disdain for May.
“This stuff is the worst of the worst,” Bamberg posted about the allegations against May. “I feel like throwing up.”
May’s suspension from office remains in effect until he is acquitted, convicted, pleads guilty or pleads no contest. If he is convicted, then he is automatically removed as a lawmaker.
If May is removed from office or resigns, it would trigger a special election to complete his term in the heavily Republican district. A primary for the special election would take place roughly 11 weeks after a vacancy, with the general roughly 20 weeks after the vacancy.
“If we decide it’s going to happen before January, we’ll lay out the game plan going forward,” Hiott said in an interview about his efforts to remove May.
This story was originally published June 13, 2025 at 3:22 PM.
