S.C. House speaker admits misconduct, resigns

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- South Carolina House Speaker Bobby Harrell pleaded guilty Thursday to misconduct in office charges and agreed to immediately resign, ending his run as one of the state's most powerful politicians.

Harrell pleaded guilty to six counts of misconduct during a hearing at the Richland County Judicial Center. As part of the plea agreement, he was sentenced to six years in prison, which was suspended, and instead given three years of probation with a $30,000 fine.

He must reimburse the state $93,958, the amount the state says he took from a campaign account for personal use.

"This has been a particularly hard two years on my family, and doing this today we hope brings an end to this," Harrell said during the hearing.

Harrell did not speak after the proceedings, but did issue a statement, where he echoed his earlier remark:

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"I have agreed to this today to end what has been a two-year nightmare. This has been incredibly hard on my family and me, and it is time for it to end. We have a fundamental disagreement over the proper use of a campaign account to fly a private aircraft to conduct state and campaign business, but to continue to fight this would have taken at least another year, possibly two.

"Cathy and I are deeply appreciative to everyone who has offered words of encouragement and prayers on our behalf. My passion for our state remains as strong as it has ever been, and I will continue to look for ways to serve the Lowcountry and South Carolina."

Harrell originally was facing a nine-count indictment that was handed down by a Richland County grand jury on Sept. 11. Prior to Thursday's hearing, Harrell had steadfastly maintained that he had done nothing wrong.

In the agreement, Harrell also said he's cooperate with additional investigations, but prosecutors did not reveal in court what those probes might be looking into.

Prosecutors said Harrell claimed the money used from his campaign account went to cover legislative and campaign expenses. However, the indictment stated Harrell used the money to pay for expenses for his private airplane, personal travel, and goods and services for his home, friends and family that were unrelated to his campaign or position as House speaker.

First Circuit Solicitor David Pascoe prosecuted the case, and before the sentencing, spoke about what investigators found. Pascoe admitted that most of the flights made on Harrell's personal plane were for legislative purposes, but said Harrell still received an improper benefit from the trips.

Pascoe then detailed a 2009 trip made to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., by Harrell using the former speaker's personal plane. During the investigation, Harrell told a State Law Enforcement Division agent that the trip was a "see and be seen" trip with constituents. However, Pascoe said agents could prove that the flights were actually a trip with friends and family to see a high school baseball tournament.

Harrell was suspended from office in September following his indictment. State Representative Jay Lucas assumed the speaker's duties following that move. Lucas is expected to continue on in that role.

"This is a disappointing day for South Carolina and the South Carolina House of Representatives," Lucas said in a statement Thursday afternoon. "Days like this test the faith of the citizens of this state in their public officials. It is my hope that bringing this matter involving Speaker Harrell to a close will allow the House to move forward and to focus on the issues important to South Carolina."

Thursday's hearing ended a 20-month fight over allegations of misconduct by Harrell. It all began in February 2013 when Ashley Landress of the South Carolina Policy Council, a political group that advocates for smaller government, filed a complaint against Harrell with the State Ethics Commission. In it, she claimed the speaker used his office for personal gain.

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson asked the law enforcement division to look into the matter, and referred it to the state grand jury in January of this year. But Harrell believed the initial complaint and the investigation were politically motivated, and sued to have the investigation done by the House Ethics Committee. His attorney also claimed that Wilson had a bias against him, and wanted him removed from the case.

That led to a lengthy legal battle that ultimately ended at the South Carolina Supreme Court in July. The justices ruled that Wilson did have the authority to prosecute the case. Wilson, though, stepped away from the investigation and handed it to Pascoe.

Harrell was originally elected to the state legislature in 1992, and has served as House speaker since 2005. He still owns and operates a State Farm insurance branch near Charleston.