David Pascoe

When a Freshman Senator had the Guts to Call Out an Alleged Bribe in Public Only to be Muted and Have Everyone Look Away Last year, something happened on the floor of the South Carolina Senate that should have stopped everything. A freshman firebrand state senator said a hidden truth out loud. I was not surprised that the senator from Berkeley County had the courage to speak the truth and call out at the very least questionable unethical behavior. After all, he is a lawyer legislator who has stood up to the establishment to fight for judicial reform putting his money where his mouth is by not voting in judicial elections. We need more in the General Assembly with his integrity. So I was unsurprised when he stood up during session and said, plainly and on camera, that he had been offered between $50,000 and $100,000 by a lobbyist group for his campaign account if he would vote against tort reform. He didn’t say it in private. He didn’t say it anonymously. He said it out loud, in the Senate chamber, where laws are supposed to be made in the open. Anyone who believes in the rule of law should have had the same reaction I did: how is that not immediately investigated? What followed was just as telling as the allegation itself. The President of the Senate visibly lost control of the moment. He struggled to respond. When he finally did, he didn’t ask questions or refer the matter to law enforcement. He adjourned the Senate. They disappeared for two hours. When they returned, they went on with business as if nothing had happened. That silence wasn’t accidental. It was instinctive. It was the system protecting itself. If an ordinary citizen accused a powerful interest of offering a bribe, the wheels of government would turn quickly. Subpoenas. Statements. Investigators. But when the accusation lands inside the club, the first impulse is not truth. It’s containment. That is not how a healthy legislature behaves. That is how an institution behaves when it has something to lose. When I say that, as Attorney General, there will be no statute of limitations on misconduct in office, I mean exactly that. On day one, SLED will interview every senator who was present that day. Not to embarrass anyone. Not to posture. To answer the most basic question a free society must answer: what happened? Was money offered? Who made the offer? When did it happen? How was it communicated? Was it reported? Was it ignored? Those aren’t political questions. They’re law-enforcement questions. And the fact that no one asked them tells you everything you need to know about why corruption survives in Columbia. This is why there has been such an intense effort by the good o'le boys to keep me off the ballot. I will bring an end to the era of toleration. The good ole boys in both parties understand what comes next if I am Attorney General. They understand I don’t protect institutions at the expense of the public. I don’t confuse seniority with legitimacy. And I don’t pretend corruption doesn’t exist just because acknowledging it makes powerful people uncomfortable. For years, my opponents have tried to brand me as a wolf in sheep’s clothing. That’s never been true. I’m a wolf in wolf’s clothing. I don’t hide my intentions. I don’t pretend to be something I’m not. And I don’t apologize for enforcing the law evenly. If you think that moment on the Senate floor was an anomaly, you haven’t been paying attention. If you think it didn’t deserve investigation, you’re accepting a double standard that only benefits insiders. And if you think the system will fix itself without pressure, history says otherwise. Corruption doesn’t disappear because people are polite. It disappears when someone is willing to confront it directly, document it carefully, and prosecute it without fear. I’ve done that work before. I know what it costs. And I know why the establishment would rather stop me now than deal with what comes later. The culture of corruption in Columbia didn’t grow overnight. It won’t end overnight either. But it will end, not with speeches or slogans, but with enforcement. That’s what scares them.

Excited for a great afternoon in Conway, South Carolina!

Looking forward to seeing my friends in Conway tomorrow! It’s going to be a lot of fun and I know we’ll have a great crowd!!

Corruption in Columbia is not an accident. It is a system. A system where insiders protect insiders, where accountability is optional, and where powerful interests expect to be above the law. I have taken that system on before, and I will do it again as your Attorney General. This time, we finish the job.

The handful of South Carolina trial lawyers spending millions of dollars attacking me are not doing it to protect you. They spend it to protect their influence, their leverage, and the system that benefits them. They thrive in a legal climate where insiders have the upper hand and reform quietly dies in committee. When enforcement gets serious, their comfort ends. And they know it.

Looking forward to a productive afternoon in the Upstate meeting with supporters in Laurens and Greenville Counties. Later this evening I will be in Pickens. Should be a fun time!

Grateful to have the endorsement of @JayforHouse85 He understands how the system works and the pressure that comes with it. He also knows I don’t answer to it. I’ve taken on corruption before and enforced the law when it mattered. I appreciate his support. We have more work to do.

Stephen Goldfinch isn’t just a trial lawyer lackey. He isn’t just a liberal lawyer-legislator who voted for liberal DEI judges and has helped grow government while South Carolinians get less in return. He’s also proven he’s willing to lie straight to your face. We’ve now seen him use his position to push claims that simply aren’t true, and when he gets called out, he points fingers at others instead of taking responsibility. He did it to Treasurer Curtis Loftis, and when the facts didn’t line up, he tried to shift the blame to other senators. That tells you everything you need to know. Goldfinch made claims about money supposedly passing through me that are flat wrong. This isn’t complicated. This is basic information that anyone serving in the legislature should understand. The funding mechanism he’s talking about is something he has voted in favor of for ten years. A quick review of the state comptroller’s website would show exactly where that money flows. In fact, the pass-through he’s referencing runs through the Governor's agency, the Department of Juvenile Justice. The Attorney General's Office also provides funding. That’s public record. It takes about two minutes to find. So now what? Is the Governor corruptly funneling money? Is he going to claim the Attorney General’s Office is corrupt too? This is what happens when someone speaks before they understand the facts. It’s careless, and it’s exactly the kind of behavior South Carolina cannot afford in its chief law enforcement officer. Being Attorney General requires judgment. It requires discipline. It requires a commitment to truth, especially when it’s inconvenient. Stephen Goldfinch has shown he lacks those qualities. That raises a bigger question about whether he is fit to hold higher office. When you are willing to misrepresent facts and deflect responsibility, you are not demonstrating leadership. You are demonstrating weakness. I don’t want him out of this race. I want voters to see the contrast clearly. This election will come down to a choice between a prosecutor who has taken on corruption and followed the evidence wherever it leads, and a lawyer-legislator who has been part of the system and continues to defend it. I look forward to making that case.

Well we sure have stirred up a hornet's nest in Columbia. I have been trying to tell you for years. It's not the Republicans. It's Democrat trial lawyers and the Good Ole Boys that run Columbia. The same people I've been fighting for a decade. They're paying off Twitter influencers to attack me. They're sending texts. They're about to run TV ads. They're spending millions of dollars to take me down...But it won't work. They call me a wolf in sheep's clothing. But I'm here to tell you straight up - there is no sheep's clothing. I AM THE WOLF!

Stephen Goldfinch used his position on the Senate Finance Committee to attack me with a lie. Too bad the Senator could not read a budget proviso that he’s voted for repeatedly for over a decade. Maybe his inability to read the budget is why it has doubled over ten years under his watch. fitsnews.com/2026/04/07/cor…

I am really looking forward to this event on Chris Grant’s property, The Clinton House. It’s a beautiful location. I am told BBQ and burgers are on the menu. I really appreciate Chris putting this event on. It’s going to be a lot of fun. We will put out more details as we get closer to the date.

Last week, I stated that after Easter I would go into the sordid history of Pete, Bob, Chris, and a state senator from Charleston. The Democrat trial lawyers involved are the ones responsible for the 30 pieces of silver @LauraLoomer gets paid per post to betray Republican principles. In light of last week’s developments and FBI involvement, it is best that I not go into these details at this time. The rule of law and ensuring fair investigations must always trump politics.

Packed house at Henry’s in Charleston with the Carolina Republican Coalition. Mara does a fabulous job coordinating these events by covering a wide range of subjects. Last night was no exception as we discussed every thing from local issues to details about the War in Iran.

I am proud to have the endorsement of @standforhealth1   As Attorney General, I will fight every day to protect medical freedom, parental rights, religious liberty, privacy, and free speech.  I will not do what is established: rather, I will fight to do what is right to protect the sovereignty of every citizen in our State.

Everywhere I’ve gone to speak, from Gaffney to Charleston since last Thursday, I am asked about my thoughts of Attorney General Pam Bondi’s departure. President Trump absolutely made the right call in moving on from AG Bondi -- at the end of the day, promises have to translate into competent action. This is not about personalities, it’s about performance and strategy. But now, the President is ensuring he can appoint an AG who will actually deliver while Republicans still have the votes to confirm. That’s not just smart politics -- that’s putting country first.

State Senator Tom Fernandez understands the system. He’s seen the pressure and the politics. He also knows that like him, I don’t answer to either. I’m grateful for his support!

Same playbook.
Same accounts.
Different target. Now it’s @davidpascoesc open.substack.com/pub/scjudicial…

This campaign isn’t about me. It’s about all of us. It’s about our fight to end corruption in South Carolina, bring real transparency to government, stop illegal lobbying, and make sure public officials are serving the people not profiting from their positions.

Happy Easter Sunday to you and your family!

Remember the sacrifice. Reflect on the grace. Happy Good Friday.