FITSNews Week in Review (FITSNews)

This week’s edition kicked off with a recap of my appearance on the ‘Murdaugh Murders’ podcast with news director Mandy Matney and executive editor Liz Farrell – as well as a recap of my visit to Bourbon in the Back Room, a Palmetto political podcast hosted by former state senators Vincent Sheheen and Joel Lourie.

Law school admission scheme, Kissing Trump’s ring, U.S. Imperialism

In this week’s episode, Will sat down with executive editor Liz Farrell to discuss the latest on the ‘Murdaugh Murders’ crime and corruption saga – including the legal battle over the release of disgraced former attorney Alex Murdaugh’s jail house telephone call and the latest developments in the quest for accountability over the Palmetto State’s corrupt judicial branch.

Also, our director of special projects Dylan Nolan – the producer, director and editor of this program – stepped back in front of the camera to discuss his latest investigative report on allegations of corruption within South Carolina’s results-challenged government-run school system.

In this week’s episode, Will discusses the very latest on the ‘Murdaugh Murders’ crime and corruption saga – including a recap of one of the first leaked depositions related to this case as well as an update on the legal battle over disgraced former attorney Alex Murdaugh’s jail house telephone calls.

We also tease an interview we conducted with a Dave Hancock – a former Navy Seal who has emerged as a central figure in the Kyle Rittenhouse case. Hancock also has some bizarre stories about famed First Amendment attorney-turned-conspiracy theorist, Lin Wood.

Finally, Will updated readers on the latest developments related to the 2022 partisan primary elections in the Palmetto State – including the ongoing proxy war between former U.S. president Donald Trump and former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley.

In this week’s expansive show, Will waxed extensively on core functions of government in the aftermath of a recent knife attack at a South Carolina courthouse. He also covered congressional candidate Katie Arrington being accused of satanism and attempted vehicular homicide (yes, you read that right) and threw a few well-chosen jabs at the University of South Carolina’s incompetent trustees in the aftermath of the latest athletic department dumpster fire.

An interesting update in the ‘Murdaugh Murders’ crime and corruption saga is also included in this week’s episode … although Will did his best to scare off some of our “mainstream” subscribers with common sense hot takes on two of the hottest hot-button social issues currently facing our nation (trans athletics and critical race theory).

On this week’s episode, our brilliant researcher Jennifer Wood emerged from the Louisiana bayou to grace the Columbia crew with the latest Murdaugh malfeasance, while Morgan Kiser shared with our views the harrowing tale of her family’s experience in a boat crash caused by a drunk boater.

In the week’s big news, Will took a shot at S.C. fourteenth circuit solicitor Duffie Stone over his blatant conflicts of interest and inappropriate involvement in the Murdaugh Murders investigation.

That criticism came on the heels of a joint press release from Stone and the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) targeting “some media outlets” for publishing “unfounded and ill-informed speculation” related to his involvement in the case.

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It was another tremendously busy week at FITSNews, which made for yet another jam-packed edition of our increasingly popular ‘Week in Review’ segment. 

We kicked off this week with more coverage of the still-unfolding Bowen Turner saga, which has sparked a national uproar and additional attention on South Carolina’s “Injustice” system.

Stay tuned for much more on the Turner story in the coming days, as our director of special projects Dylan Nolan and I work on a mini-documentary related to this flagrant miscarriage of justice.

It was another busy week at FITSNews. And while there was plenty of news, not much of it was new – our crony-capitalist governor saw his Carolina Panthers deal go up in flames and a suspect in the Columbiana Mall mass-shooting was granted bond.

Sound familiar?

The Palmetto State is no stranger to crony capitalism and judicial leniency. Liz Farrell highlighted South Carolina’s ongoing ‘injustice’ crisis this week with a deep dive on S.C. circuit court judge Markley Dennis and second circuit prosecutor David Miller. Dennis and Miller are central figures in the Bowen Turner case – which has drawn national attention as a case study in hiring lawyer-legislators in order to receive preferential treatment in Palmetto State courtrooms.

In political news, we’d like to announce that FITSNews will be selling pay-per-view tickets for the remainder of the first congressional district race …

Okay, not really – but we will continue covering the battle between incumbent Nancy Mace and Katie Arrington – who has been endorsed by former president Donald Trump – as they duke it out for the GOP nomination for this seat.

Earlier this week, attendees at a Republican women’s event in Southern Beaufort County heckled Mace – chiding her over comments she made criticizing Trump for allegedly inciting the riots at the U.S. Capitol last January.

Next month, our news outlet will be traveling to Beaufort County to cover a debate between Mace and Arrington that we expect will prompt similar fireworks.

Will and Dylan closed the show out with a discussion of his latest piece (a tome) on Critical Race Theory. We also discussed Will’s possible return to Twitter if Elon Musk is successful in his bid for the firm.

It was a big week for news in South Carolina as Mandy Matney, Liz Farrell and Will Folks broke a trio of big exclusives related to the still-unraveling ‘Murdaugh Murders’ crime and corruption saga.

Will and Liz discussed all of these new developments in depth in our increasingly popular ‘Week in Review’ segment … which recaps the big stories we broke (or covered) over the previous seven days.

We also took a closer look at the latest developments in the still-unfolding Bowen Turner saga – with Farrell and Folks offering their takes on where that story could be headed. Also, I am continuing to work on our documentary of the Bowen Turner saga as a case study in South Carolina’s “injustice system.”

Finally, there’s a new sheriff in the South Carolina House of Representatives – but unlike the “Queen’s coronation” coverage provided by the Palmetto State’ mainstream media, Will came loaded for bear when it comes to assessing his potential impact on a host of important outcomes in the Palmetto State.

Here are the show notes and don’t forget you can now access the show on Apple and Spotify …

*****

SHOW NOTES

MURDAUGH MURDERS

High-Velocity Impact Spatter Directly Ties Alex Murdaugh To Double Homicide, Sources Say
Maggie Murdaugh Was ‘Lured’ To Moselle On The Night Of Her Murder, Sources Say
Murdaugh Murders: Grand Jury Was Probing Alex Murdaugh’s Finances Prior To Moselle Homicides
What Can Blood Spatter Tell Us? Forensic Expert Explains
Alex Murdaugh Paid $110K For A Funeral Home In 2020? That Seems … Unusual

BOWEN TURNER NOT OFF THE HOOK YET?

Bowen Turner Saga: It’s Not Over
Bowen Turner Case: Family Of Dallas Stoller Launches Petition
Solicitor Seeks Sanctions For Bowen Turner’s Numerous And Flagrant Violations

STATE HOUSE SHAKE UP

South Carolina House: The Dominos Are About To Fall
South Carolina State House: Meet The New Boss

*****

Once again, please do not hesitate to share your comments and criticisms (constructive or otherwise). Each one of them helps us improve the product we are cranking out.

To share your feedback, email me (dylan@fitsnews) or tweet to me (@DNolan2000).

The ‘Murdaugh Murders’ crime and corruption saga marched on this week with new indictments handed down in connection with the financial crimes component of the investigation. Indictments were issued against the former CEO of Palmetto State Bank, Russell Laffitte – the first time he has been criminally charged – while additional indictments were handed down against alleged co-conspirator Cory Fleming and Alex Murdaugh himself.

The civil side of the the case also continued via a contentious court hearing in Lexington County. The court appointed receivers in the matter — attorneys John T. Lay and Peter McCoy – argued in front of S.C. circuit court judge Daniel Hall as to why they should be allowed to continue controlling Murdaugh’s assets prior to the resolution of the pending litigation.

Murdaugh’s attorneys — including “bulldogs” Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin — have been “pulling out all the stops to regain full control of Alex’s finances.”

We reported a lot of drug news this week, too, managing to piss off both the left and the right in doing so …

SHOW NOTES …

MURDAUGH MURDERS

State Grand Jury Indicts Former Bank CEO Russell Laffitte. More Charges for Murdaugh and Fleming
Judge Sets Bond At $1 Million For Alleged Murdaugh Co-Conspirator Russell Laffitte
‘Murdaugh Murders’ Civil Case: Battle Over Alex Murdaugh’s Assets Rages On

DRUGS

South Carolina Democrats: ‘Cocaine Is A Helluva Drug’
South Carolina House ‘Republicans’ Kill Medical Marijuana Bill With Procedural Gimmick

MURRELL SMITH ABORTION

Murrell Smith: Abortion Case Comes Back To Haunt South Carolina’s New Legislative Leader

*****

The saga of Bowen Turner dominated headlines this week as the accused teen rapist from Orangeburg, South Carolina was arrested (again) – and as victims and their families used his case to push for long-overdue reform of the Palmetto State’s badly broken “justice” system.

The victims’ rights rally at the S.C. State House was a shot across the bow of the status quo … with state lawmakers suddenly feeling sustained pressure to put a stop to their notoriously corrupt method of screening and electing judges.

Stay tuned for much more on this reform push in the weeks to come …

In other news, there are major developments in the cold case of Brittanee Drexel, a New York teen who vanished without a trace from Myrtle Beach, S.C. on April 25, 2009. Earlier this month, 62-year-old Raymond Douglas Moody of Georgetown was arrested on an obstruction of justice charge. Moody was named as a “person of interest” in connection with the Drexel disappearance more than a decade ago.

A press conference has been scheduled for this coming Monday (May 16, 2022) at which authorities in Georgetown County are expected to provide an update more than thirteen years in the making.

In the latest ‘Murdaugh Murders’ crime and corruption news, a South Carolina circuit court judge rejected efforts by lawyers for Alex Murdaugh to restore control of the disgraced attorney’s finances to him and his family. Since November, Murdaugh’s assets have been controlled by a pair of court-appointed receivers in an effort to prevent him from disposing of funds allegedly stolen from multiple victims.

As I noted in the video above, though, we are expecting much bigger Murdaugh-related news very soon …

It was another busy week at FITSNews as our intrepid researcher Jenn Wood paid a visit to our South Carolina headquarters. Jenn’s ability to effortlessly assemble and piece together information rivals that of Penelope Garcia from Criminal Minds – and you’ll see the fruits of her latest visit in the coming weeks as the ‘Murdaugh Murders’ crime and corruption saga approaches a point of critical mass.

While Jenn was busy scouring public indexes and doing deep dives on property records and corporate filings, our founding editor Will Folks dropped a bombshell in the ongoing Bowen Turner saga – questioning whether two of the three sexual assault cases against the accused teen rapist were improperly assigned to the office of S.C. second circuit solicitor Bill Weeks.

This report was met almost immediately with a broadside from S.C. first circuit solicitor David Pascoe – the prosecutor who assigned the cases to Weeks. According to Pascoe, he had “no doubt” the office of Alan Wilson was behind the story – and accusing the attorney general of “irresponsibly” playing politics in order to get a “sensational headline.”

Will had a far more positive and productive conversation with S.C. senator Katrina Shealy about possible legislative solutions to improve the state’s badly broken “justice system.” FITSNews will continue to work with Shealy and any other members of the legislature to enact much needed reforms aimed at preventing miscarriages of justice

Will and Jenn also attended a press conference at the attorney general’s office announcing a major drug bust. According to Wilson and his law enforcement/ prosecutorial partners, the La Familia cartel used a Greenville S.C. Mexican restaurant – and its fleet of food trucks – to traffic drugs throughout the Upstate.

Talk about a memorable “Taco Tuesday …”

Incidentally, Will and Jenn used approximately half a tank of gas getting to and from the press conference – which based on current prices means this news outlet is on the verge of bankruptcy.

But seriously – gas is expensive right now. And on this week’s show Will walked us through how Palmetto State leaders are not helping the situation.

We cap the episode off with an update on the Brittanee Drexel case. Drexel’s loved ones finally have answers. Raymond Douglas Moody, 62, of Georgetown, S.C. has been charged with murder, kidnapping and criminal sexual conduct in the first degree in connection with the case.

I missed last week’s editions of the ‘Week In Review’ due to illness, but executive editor Liz Farrell and special projects director Dylan Nolan filled in admirably … so before diving into this week’s news, I wanted to say a quick ‘thank you’ to them for stepping up.

There was a ton of news to cover this week, but I am not naïve enough to think the vast majority of you are here for my incisive political commentary – or even my take on the latest developments in the saga of Bowen Turner, the Orangeburg, S.C. accused teen rapist whose case has exposed any number of systemic flaws within South Carolina’s judicial branch of government.

Although, the Turner story continues driving the news as well as driving behind-the-scenes activity in the corridors of power in the Palmetto State …

Still, the big “get” in this week’s show was my exclusive sit-down interview with attorneys Eric Bland and Ronnie Richter of the Bland Richter law firm.

For many in our audience, Bland and Richter are household names given their ongoing involvement in the ‘Murdaugh Murders’ crime and corruption saga. And while we are only posting one segment from my lengthy conversation with the two lawyers in the ‘Week in Review,’ you won’t have to wait long for the rest.

Look for the full interview with Bland and Richter to be posted tomorrow (Sunday, June 5, 2022) as a standalone video …




SHOW NOTES …

BOWEN TURNER COMMUNITY FAIL
System’s Failure Built On Community Failure

SC CRIME WAR
Midlands Gang Leaders Meet With Law Enforcement
Feds Roll Out New Violent Crime Strategy In South Carolina

PARTISAN PRIMARY NEWS (DEMOCRATS)
Joe Cunningham Bows To The Pressure
SC Democrats Struggle To Contain ‘Debate-Gate’

PARTISAN PRIMARY NEWS (REPUBLICANS)
Nancy Mace, GOP Allies Unload On Katie Arrington
South Carolina GOP Ballot Questions Face Scrutiny
SC1: Poll Shows Neck-And-Neck Race
SC7: Poll Shows Big Lead For MAGA Challenger

You asked for it so here it is... Our full interview with attorneys Eric Bland and Ronnie Richter 

We have been doing the ‘Week in Review’ for nearly half a year now and (incredibly) I have avoided saying anything overtly offensive or cancel-worthy.

Until this week …

In a failed attempt to insult Reddit users, I wound up doing a patently offensive imitation of Apu from The Simpsons – which is ironic because I was trying to imitate a Farsi accent, not a Hindi one.

Either way, the complaint department will probably be working overtime after this episode … because if that wasn’t enough, later in the program I insulted residents of West Columbia and Cayce, S.C. (but mostly those residing in West Columbia).

I will let you listen to see which body part I compared them to … (cringes).

It’s a shame I contracted such a severe case of foot-in-mouth because this was actually an informative, far-ranging show – one which covered a lot of ground related to next week’s partisan primary elections as well as the ongoing ‘Murdaugh Murders’ crime and corruption saga.

Hopefully, viewers and listeners will see (hear?) through the offending remarks …

Prior to signing off, I reached into our reader mailbag to share a few responses to our coverage … which is always an adventure.

Enjoy the show!

Between this week’s partisan primary elections, a visit from Wesley Donehue and our receipt of dozens of Alex Murdaugh‘s Jailhouse phone calls – this week has been busy. Luckily, Will breaks it all down for us in this episode of the Week in Review.

Nancy Mace‘s victory in the first congressional district was the biggest news of Tuesday night, and was a major win for former S.C. governor Nikki Haley.

Former president Donald Trump scored a proxy-war win when Russell Fry, the seventh congressional district candidate Trump endorsed and campaigned for, defeated incumbent Tom Rice. Rice vocally opposed former president Donald Trump‘s role in the havoc wreaked at the capitol on January 6th 2021. Fry notably voted to increase the state’s gas taxes as a member of the South Carolina General Assembly.

Joe Cunningham, the gubernatorial candidate backed by the South Carolina Democratic Party (SCDP), defeated primary opponent Mia McLeod. Cunningham “does not have a path to victory in the staunchly GOP Palmetto State – which saw a red storm sweep across its political landscape in 2020 (and is likely to see an even bigger one hit it this fall if national trends hold).”

We also checked back in on Brant Tomlinson. Tomlinson ran for Kershaw County council four years ago, only to have his campaign sunk by a photo of himself in blackface that he forgot to take off of his Facebook page. Tomlinson ran again this year, and made it to a run off election on Tuesday. Count on FITSNews to keep you appraised of any future electoral developments for this wannabe Jamaican bobsledder.

We covered more than just elections this week. The FITSNews team received dozens of Alex Murdaugh’s jailhouse phone-call recordings. We’ve released Alex discussing: selling assets before a court can order him not to, being shot in the head and the conditions he lives in at the Alvin S Glenn Detention Center.

Its been lonely here at FITSNews HQ this week with our founding editor Will Folks soaking up the rays (and possibly grease from fried fish). Easy, ladies 

In Will’s absence we’ve pulled out all the stops to put together a great show for you. I’m most excited for you to see the special report put together by our researcher extraordinaire Jennifer Wood on the potential for federal involvement in the Murdaugh murders crime and corruption saga.

But before we debut Jenn’s special report I walk you through two other important developments: the fallout from last week’s partisan primaries and a new way for the governor to hold Palmetto State school district leaders accountable.

S.C. Attorney General candidate Lauren Martel led a “MAGA slate” protest of her partisan primary loss. Martel was soundly defeated in her bid against third-term incumbent attorney general Alan Wilson.

Martel’s protest was centered around the failure of election workers to be administered an oath required by law. While I am in support of following all laws that legitimize our elections, I characterized Martel’s challenge as “frivolous” in this week’s episode.

I gave slightly more credence to house district 43 candidate Mark Corral, who announced late Tuesday night that he too was submitting a letter disputing the election. Unlike Martel, Corral lost by a far narrower margin of 139 votes (or 3.84 percent) to incumbent Randy Ligon.

Corral protested the relocation of precinct polling places because he alleged that one location was moved outside of an adjacent precinct in violation of S.C. Code §7-7-910.

Both Corral and Martel had to prove that their races would have turned out differently had the issues they cited not occurred, and none of the candidates who challenged their primary results were able to cross that evidentiary threshold in a hearing held before the S.C. GOP executive committee on Thursday evening.

I then moved on to the run-off election in the Republican primary between candidates Ellen Weaver and Kathy Maness for the state superintendent of education position.

Potentially more important for the day-to-day operation of S.C. schools is how governor Henry McMaster‘s investigation into  Richland School District Two proceeds in the coming weeks.

Following months of allegations of improprieties by district leadership, the governor has formally requested that S.C. state inspector general Brian Lamkin investigate the district and provide him with a report of his findings.

We end the episode with FITSNews researcher Jennifer Wood’s special report on RICO charges and what would need to happen for them to be applied in the Murdaugh case.

Happy weekend! In this week’s episode we finally put the partisan primaries in the rear-view mirror, we talk about Joe Cunningham’s struggle to find a female running-mate of color and end with the criminal proceedings that Alex Murdaugh associate Curtis Edward Smith is currently facing.

Krystle Matthews won the democratic run-off and is now the party’s nominee to run for U.S. Senate. Before voters went to the polls, investigative news outlet Project Veritas published an audio recording of a conversation between Matthews and an inmate at the Perry Correctional Institution in which she suggests financing her campaign with “dope money.” Listen to the call in the episode or read my piece for further context.

School choice advocate Ellen Weaver won 64 percent of the vote against Kathy Maness in the hotly contested Republican state school superintendent primary.

Former U.S. congressman Joe Cunningham – the newly minted Democratic nominee for governor of South Carolina – is desperately seeking a black female candidate to serve as his 2022 lieutenant gubernatorial nominee.

The problem? His first choice for the job – state senator Mia McLeod – told him “hell to the no,” according to sources familiar with the search process.

George Amos Tenney III, 35, of Anderson, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to civil disorder and obstruction of an official proceeding for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

In the episode I discuss Tenney’s future and the potential for further escalation of political violence should this kind of behavior continue to be tolerated by both major political parties.

We then give you a brief update on Tiger King star Doc Antle‘s indictments by a federal grand jury.

Finally, we cover the new charges that Alex Murdaugh and his longtime friend and alleged co-conspirator Curtis Edward Smith face.

The state grand jury has charged the pair with two conspiracy counts, including a narcotics count related to manufacturing and distribution of Oxycodone.

Smith was also indicted on four counts of money laundering, three counts of forgery, trafficking methamphetamine 10-28 grams, one count of unlawful possession of a Schedule II controlled substance and possession of marijuana. 

More specifically, Smith is accused of cashing at least $2.4 Million dollars in checks — 437 of them! — over the course of eight years on behalf of Murdaugh.

Our founding editor Will Folks is back in the chair for this Saturday’s edition of the FITSNews Week in Review! In this episode, we treaded dangerously close to Real Housewives of Greenville territory – delving into the cast of characters tied to the sex scandal surrounding U.S. congressman William Timmons.

Missed that drama? Well, “it started with a whisper …” and yes, Will quoted (and even tried to sing a few bars) of that song in his expansive, entertaining take on the circus swirling around the family values “Republican.”

As a reminder, FITSNews doesn’t really care who politicians sleep with (unless they bill their dalliances to the taxpayer) – but we were dragged headfirst into this still-unfolding drama.

To recap: FITSNews never sought comment from the congressman on his alleged affair with a Charleston socialite. Nor did we indicate that we had any plans to publish a report on the rumored tryst (we hadn’t even really had a proper conversation about it in the newsroom). Also, FITSNews has a  longstanding policy of not getting involved in the private lives of public officials – a policy Timmons and his team were no doubt well aware of.

Still, we were provided with an unsolicited 18-word statement in which Timmons asked for “prayers and privacy” as he and his wife, Sarah Timmons, worked through “some difficult private matters.”

In case you aren’t familiar with how these things typically go – and I’d hope for your own sake that you aren’t – it’s not exactly standard operating procedure to give a media outlet a quote about your affair when they are simply doing their due diligence on a tip.

It seemed to us as though Timmons almost wanted this story out there so it wouldn’t continue to fester. If he was hoping his indiscretions would slip quickly out of the news cycle, though, he was sorely disappointed.

In this week’s episode Will discussed the allegations against Timmons and the (at times ludicrous) public statements made by those impacted by the scandal in detail.

In other news, the ‘Murdaugh Murders’ crime and corruption saga is heating up and we were proud to give readers and viewers an exclusive look at the role geofencing (the use of cell phone location data to pinpoint who was at a crime scene) could play in the prosecution of the killer or killers of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh.

In our Murdaugh segment, we played a clip from researcher Jennifer Wood’s special report on this subject.

We’re continuing to keep our eyes peeled and our ears to the ground on this story – and have heard that major developments related to the case could happen in the very near future. Stay tuned.

Finally, Will took a moment to address this news outlet’s open microphone policy. We’ve had the privilege of publishing a lot of great guest columns lately, and announced earlier this week that we will be bringing on a new guest columnist to further broaden the idealogical spectrum on our site.

The team here at FITSNews – like our readers – doesn’t always see eye-to-eye. And that’s a good thing. No one person, party or ideology gets it right all the time – and we hope to provide a sort of intellectual proving ground where the best ideas compete against one another to see which ones come out on top.

One last programming note: For those of you covering the Bowen Turner saga, we will be covering the accused rapist bond revocation hearing next Wednesday in Orangeburg, S.C. In case you missed our recent coverage of a buddy-buddy reception given to a new judge by a powerful law firm (one with deep ties to the state legislature), give Will’s piece from earlier this week a read. The story didn’t make this week’s show … but it shone a light on the interpersonal relationships that threaten the notion of “blind justice” in South Carolina.

It was another incredibly busy week here at FITSNews – beginning with the bombshell we dropped on South Carolina via our exclusive interview of former Charleston sex worker Lindsey Edwards.

Where is Lindsey’s story headed from here? I delved into that in the first block of this edition of the ‘Week In Review.’

Our show also updated readers on the latest developments in the William Timmons’ affair – notably some curious real estate moves which were executed just days before his office preemptively addressed rumors of an alleged extramarital affair between the congressman and businesswoman/ socialite Paula Dhier.

There was also major news to report from the ‘Murdaugh Murders’ crime and corruption saga as S.C. circuit court judge Clifton Newman denied a proposed gag order submitted by defense attorneys and prosecutors in the double murder case of disbarred attorney Alex Murdaugh.

I discussed Newman’s decision and its implications on this trial … and also gave a hat tip to our news director Mandy Matney for her big story on a settlement reached between Palmetto State Bank, the Parker Law Group (formerly PMPED) and several of Murdaugh’s alleged victims.

Finally, we dove into a campaign to “end the geriatric oligarchy” in South Carolina  – a.k.a. the Democratic gubernatorial campaign of former U.S. congressman Joe Cunningham.

Oh, I also teased out the seismic allegations that have been lodged against his newly minted lieutenant gubernatorial nominee, attorney Tally Parham Casey. What sort of allegations? Well, let’s just say this could end up being a very “prickly” situation for the Democratic ticket this fall …

Very prickly indeed …

Last week, the ‘Murdaugh Murders’ crime and corruption saga got bumped to the “C-block” – or third section – of our increasingly popular ‘Week in Review’ program.

This week the story roared back with a vengeance … and appears poised to produce even more revelations next week.

As you can see from our show notes (below), it was a huge week for Murdaugh-related news – with multiple breaking stories related to both the civil and criminal cases bearing down on this once-powerful South Carolina legal dynasty.
Special projects director Dylan Nolan, researcher Jenn Wood and myself worked around the clock this week to bring our audience all of the latest Murdaugh coverage – while I kept tabs on the other big stories that broke across the Palmetto State this week (here, here, here, here, here and here, just to name a few).

Dylan also filed a detailed report updating our audience on the latest developments regarding the placement of obscenely graphic, progressive literature in taxpayer-funded school libraries.

Finally, as always, our open microphone was turned up again this week as guest columnist Prioleau Alexander fired off another no-punches-pulled critique of the prevailing herdthink. Alexander’s insightful missive slammed the collective cultural shoulder shrugs we have seen in response to escalating Orwellian overreach and institutional corruption at the national level.

Alexander told me he has another column coming this week that is going to “melt our servers.” So stay tuned for that!

The FITSNews team was in full plague mode this week, with multiple members of the Folks brood catching a nasty case of Covid-19. Despite this, we were able to provide stellar coverage of the multiple Murdaugh developments, abortion legislation debate, a FOIA smackdown, and much more.

I begin the show by breaking down the Murdaugh developments from this week. Alex Murdaugh faces a new round of state financial charges and the feds have ratcheted up their prosecution of Russell Laffitte, who now faces additional charges for allegedly defrauding clients.

If you’d like to understand these financial crimes better I’d encourage you to check out the FITSNews Money Laundering 101 guide.

Earlier this week Murdaugh’s attorney state senator Dick Harpootlian held a press conference slamming the Attorney General’s office for alleged failure to produce evidence and for leaking information.

As house and senate legislators worked to craft abortion legislation this week, I provided coverage of deliberations and arguments at the house judiciary committee, and Will wrote about the potential this legislation has to split GOP legislators.

This week, Alan Wilson went to battle with the state’s second largest school district as he seeks to send a message regarding the sanctity of South Carolina’s open records laws. Wilson sent a scathing letter to the Charleston County school district’s board of trustees regarding their alleged failure to follow state transparency laws.

According to the letter (.pdf), district leaders have “repeatedly violated” the S.C. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by “failing to provide notice of agenda items for meetings.”

Graphic video was released on Tuesday in connection with the death of Jarvis Evans at the R. Eugune Johnson detention center in Laurens, South Carolina last summer.

Evans, 40, was a mentally ill black male who died in a holding cell at the detention center on July 30, 2021 after being repeatedly tased by deputies of the Laurens County sheriff’s office. Evans was arrested by deputies on the evening of July 29 after calling 9-1-1 on himself.

It should be noted that I reference the deputies as Greenville county deputies once in the video, although I correct myself verbally and on-screen, I’d like to take this opportunity to make it abundantly clear that the deputies were employed by the Laurens County sheriff’s office.

Last week, I predicted the mushrooming Rockstar Cheer scandal was going to wind up being an even bigger story than the ‘Murdaugh Murders’ crime and corruption saga.

Turns out I had no idea how much bigger …

Rockstar Cheer went national this week on the strength of a huge federal lawsuit filed by attorneys with the Columbia, S.C.-based Strom Law firm. This lawsuit – filed in U.S. district court in Greenville, S.C. – laid bare the extent to which the alleged abuse at a Greenville, South Carolina cheer studio is part of a national epidemic of sexual exploitation targeting underage cheerleaders of both sexes.

An epidemic the industry not only ignored but facilitated …

After breaking this story wide open last week, our news team covered every step of its escalation this week – including the Greenville press conference which paved the way for the filing of the federal suit (as well as a state-level lawsuit which also targets Rockstar Cheer and several of its alleged industry enablers).

While Rockstar dominated the headlines, it was another huge week for Murdaugh-related news. Most significantly, S.C. circuit court judge Clifton Newman presided over a hearing in Walterboro on Monday morning related to alleged leaks in the murder case against accused killer Alex Murdaugh - as well as the alleged failure of the state to turn over evidence to defense attorneys.

FITSNews livestreamed that hearing, which you can view in its entirety here.

The day after the hearing, things escalated further on the Murdaugh front when agents of the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) initiated an expansive search of the Coosawhatchie River and its surrounding areas just south of Varnville, S.C. The search was conducted a mere stone’s throw from the home of the late Randolph Murdaugh III – one of three Murdaughs to hold the post of S.C. fourteenth circuit solicitor between 1920-2006. 

According to our sources, the search did not turn up anything of evidentiary value ... but as I noted in our coverage, the specific location of the search could point to the involvement of an “accomplice after the fact” in this high-profile double homicide investigation.

Last week, two of my kiddos stopped by the set of our ‘Week In Review’ program. This week, we were graced by the presence of their beautiful mother – who happens to be the chief executive officer of this news outlet.

A Prussian princess raised on 9 Mile in Eastpointe, Detroit, Katrina Folks brings the accountability to FITSNews – enabling us to hold those in power accountable for their actions (and inactions).

Amazingly, after her visit I still have a job …

As has been the case for the last two weeks, the metastasizing Rockstar Cheer scandal led our weekly coverage – as it seems poised to do for many weeks to come. In fact, on this week’s show I announced that FITSNews is producing a new podcast entitled “Cheer, Incorporated” which will be devoted to the story.

The podcast will be hosted by our research director Jenn Wood and produced by our director of special projects, Dylan Nolan.

Look for the first episode to drop this coming Tuesday (September 13, 2022).

Here are the notes from the rest of the news we covered during yet another hectic week holding people accountable in South Carolina … and beyond.

It was a blustery edition of our popular ‘Week In Review’ program as we filmed the show during amid the arrival of Hurricane Ian – which made landfall near Georgetown, South Carolina on Friday afternoon as a strong category one storm. With the exception of some intense coastal flooding and the destruction of the Pawleys Island pier, Ian’s impact on the Palmetto State paled in comparison to the deadly destruction in wrought on Florida three days ago.

More than two dozen people are confirmed dead in the Sunshine State after Ian struck its gulf coast on Wednesday as a category four storm – doing billions of dollars in damage. Meanwhile, more than 1.3 million Floridians were still without power as of Saturday morning.

By comparison, an estimated 65,000 people were without power in South Carolina as of Saturday morning.

In addition to our coverage of the storm, this week brought a renewed focus on the Palmetto State’s "injustice” system - notably the many ethically challenged state lawmakers whose cozy relationships with the judges they appoint continues to corrupt that system.

A pair of lawyer-legislators attempted to defend that system this week after I called out another judge for the unconscionably, inexcusably lenient sentence he doled out to a violent criminal earlier this month.

How did the debate end for these lawyer-legislators? Poorly ... very poorly.

Look for this issue to be addressed more competitively this week when we welcome a special guest to our studios ...

This week also brought another major expansion of the Cheer Incorporated scandal, some significant developments in the 'Murdaugh Murders’ crime and corruption saga and a pair of big political stories.

In this heavily caffeinated edition of the FITSNews Week In Review we dove right into recent bombshell Murdaugh crime and corruption saga developments.

For months informed speculators – ourselves included – have posited it is highly unlikely a few ‘lone wolves’ could have successfully executed the complex financial crimes Alex Murdaugh, Cory Fleming, and Russell Laffitte stand accused of committing.

Are we to believe that a rouge banker hid hundreds of thousands of dollars of fraud over an extended period of time from the other members of the Palmetto State Bank board of directors?

Are we to believe that a rouge lawyer hid similarly serious crimes from his law partners?

Until this week the answer to these questions were yes, but according to sources close to the federal prosecution of Russell Laffitte, audio referenced at secretive hearing held Thursday addressed a $680,000 payout to Alex Murdaugh’s former law firm.

The alleged details of the recording call the 'lone wolf' narrative into question, and could usher in an expansion of the prosecution of alleged co-conspirators. 

The Murdaugh saga has exposed the world to a side of the South Carolina justice - or injustice - system that many hadn't seen before. 

Are the alleged crimes, crimes which should have been detected and prosecuted years ago, indicative of systemic rot in the Palmetto State? Are they evidence of a dynasty built on decades of uncontested power in the state's southeastern corner? Or are they merely evidence of a few bad apples? 

These questions remain unanswered, and have led to many debates between those who argue that the state's Judicial system is fundamentally flawed and those who believe it is fundamentally benevolent

The alleged details of the recording call the ‘lone wolf’ narrative into question, and could usher in an expansion of the prosecution of alleged co-conspirators.

The Murdaugh saga has exposed the world to a side of the South Carolina justice – or injustice – system that many hadn’t seen before.

Are the alleged crimes, crimes which should have been detected and prosecuted years ago, indicative of systemic rot in the Palmetto State? Are they evidence of a dynasty built on decades of uncontested power in the state’s southeastern corner? Or are they merely evidence of a few bad apples?

These questions remain unanswered, and have led to many debates between those who argue that the state’s Judicial system is fundamentally flawed and those who believe it is fundamentally benevolent.

FITSNews founding editor Will Folks had a spirited discussion with Strom Law attorney Alexandra Beneventoin which the two debated the efficacy of the state's judicial system. 

It was another huge week in the ‘Murdaugh Murders’ crime and corruption saga as prosecutors and defense attorneys for disbarred lawyer/ accused killer Alex Murdaugh faced off in a courtroom in Florence County, South Carolina – debating several key motions in advance of a scheduled January 2023 trial.

The hearing revealed significant new information related to the double homicide at the heart of this multi-faceted, multi-layered Southern Gothic drama – including a more detailed timeline for when the murders of 52-year-old Maggie Murdaugh and 22-year-old Paul Murdaugh took place.

The Florence hearing before S.C. circuit court judge Clifton Newman was scheduled after a flurry of motions from Murdaugh’s lawyers sought to redefine this case – which is part of a broader investigation into a criminal network revolving around Murdaugh and a yet-to-be-defined network of accomplices.

Speaking of this network, federal prosecutors are seeking to suppress potential evidence in a federal trial of one of Murdaugh’s alleged coconspirators. The evidence in question could help expose that network – making this another troubling development as it relates to the conflicted federal prosecution of the Murdaugh empire.

Stay tuned … this news outlet plans on breaking plenty of additional Murdaugh-related news in the coming week.

http://FItsnews.com

On this week's edition of The Week in Review, the trial of now convicted killer Alex Murdaugh arrived at its dramatic conclusion in Walterboro, SC on Thursday March 2, 2023 with powerful closing arguments from attorneys Creighton Waters, Jim Griffin, and John Meadors, a rapid deliberation by the jury, and a sentencing by judge Clifton Newman that pulled no punches. Get the full story on https://www.fitsnews.com/2023/03/04/week-in-review-from-moselle-alex-murdaughs-double-homicide-trial-is-over/


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