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.

People attack the label but ignore the record. @davidpascoesc has actually prosecuted corruption in Columbia. Enough said. He is the AG we need in South Carolina!

I just released my first campaign ad and it tells you exactly who I am. Like Donald Trump and RFK, I was once a Democrat, but I'm still the most conservative candidate for Attorney General. My record proves it. I put two murderers on death row and was the first to call for the firing squad. I left the Democratic Party after they chose a murderer over his victims. I’m running for Attorney General to stop the culture of corruption in Columbia.  Watch the ad and see why I’m the real conservative in this race.

Today, I had the privilege of being on Trey Gowdy’s podcast. Trey has been a great friend and confidant for over 20 years. We covered a range of topics such as: our experiences putting people on death row; we both sent a murderer to the executioner last year; the need for judicial reform in our State; and much more including the Murdaugh case. I will make sure to let everyone know when it airs. It was a lot of fun!

I Target Conduct, Not People Lately the rumor mill in Columbia has been working overtime. Every day we get calls from people who have heard some version of the same story. They’re being told that if I become Attorney General I’m going to put every legislator in jail. They’re being told I’m coming after specific lawmakers. They’re being told I have a list of targets. Let me be very clear. I do not go after individuals. I go after corrupt conduct. I do not have a target list. I am not running for Attorney General to go after any one person. I am not running to settle political scores. I am not running to target a particular legislator, lobbyist, or group. In fact, I truly believe that most of the folks serving you in Columbia are good honest people. We may differ on issues, but the vast majority are there for the right reasons. Unfortunately, the actions of the few have built a self serving machine. And that's what we must weed out. For decades, Columbia has operated under a political machine that has created a culture where corruption can grow. It is a culture where special interests hold enormous influence, where insiders protect insiders, and where too often politicians end up serving the system instead of the people who elected them. When I led the Statehouse corruption probe, we exposed part of that system. Powerful politicians were held accountable and removed from office. That investigation shook Columbia because it showed something many people had begun to doubt: that even the most powerful figures in state government are not above the law. But anyone who believes corruption simply disappeared from the State House after that investigation is living in a fantasy. We removed some of the rot, but that work was only the beginning. I made it clear at the time that the investigation needed to go further. The South Carolina Supreme Court ultimately stopped that effort, and since then there has been no meaningful investigation into corruption inside the Statehouse. The system has been allowed to return to its old habits, and the rot has gotten worse. My concern has never been about individuals. It has always been about the environment that allows corruption to thrive. Columbia has become a place where too many politicians put themselves before the people and where special interests carry more weight than the citizens who sent those officials to the Statehouse. All one has to do is follow the money...government money. Government ends up serving itself when it is supposed to be serving the public. The reason the corruption probe had such an impact is simple. Politicians do not fear other politicians. They negotiate with each other. They protect each other. They compromise with each other. The one thing a corrupt politician fears is a prosecutor. A prosecutor does not trade favors. A prosecutor does not make deals about whether the law will be enforced. A prosecutor follows the evidence wherever it leads and lets a jury decide the outcome. That is the job of the Attorney General: To be where corruption needs an adversary. So when you hear rumors about me having some secret list of names, understand what they are really trying to do. They want to turn this into a personal fight because they do not want to talk about the real issue. The real issue is the system. South Carolina deserves a government that answers to the people, not to a political machine. We deserve a State House where the rule of law is not optional and where public service means serving the public. That is what I will restore. Not by targeting individuals. But by dismantling the culture of corruption that has been allowed to take root in Columbia for far too long.

DAVID PASCOE FILES FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL, PLEDGES TO END CULTURE OF CORRUPTION IN COLUMBIA First Circuit Solicitor David Pascoe officially filed today to run for Attorney General in the Republican primary, saying South Carolina needs a prosecutor willing to confront the culture of corruption that has taken root in Columbia. Pascoe built his reputation leading the Statehouse corruption probe that removed some of the most powerful politicians in South Carolina history. He says the job of Attorney General is not about politics. It is about making South Carolina the safest and least corrupt state in America. “The Columbia elites didn't want me filing for office, but here I am anyway. They're all running scared because they know voters are done with the culture of corruption in Columbia,” Pascoe said.  Pascoe has spent much of the past five years traveling the state speaking to Republican groups about combating corruption in Columbia and reforming the judicial system. He has repeatedly warned that the system in the Statehouse allows insiders and special interests to protect themselves while ordinary citizens are left behind. “Politicians do not fear other politicians,” Pascoe said. “The only thing a corrupt politician fears is a prosecutor.” Pascoe said South Carolina must focus its law-enforcement resources on the criminals who do the most damage to communities, particularly repeat offenders and illegal immigrants who commit crimes. He also said protecting children must be a top priority by strengthening prosecutions in child-victim cases and ensuring the justice system works for victims rather than defendants. Another central focus of Pascoe’s campaign will be the fight for conservative judges. “Our courts must be guided by judges who respect the Constitution and apply the law faithfully,” Pascoe said. “For years I have spoken out against activist judges and pushed for judicial reform. That fight will continue.” Pascoe said his campaign is part of a broader movement among citizens who are tired of the corruption, complacency, and insider politics that have dominated Columbia for too long. “This campaign is not about one person,” Pascoe said. “It is about the people of South Carolina taking their government back and restoring the rule of law.” ###

Corruption survives in the shadows. It survives when no one is willing to investigate, enforce the law, and hold powerful people accountable. Sunlight changes that. Enforcement changes that. South Carolina deserves an Attorney General who will expose corruption, confront it, and put an end to the culture that allows it to grow in Columbia.

Last week, I was honored to visit Dominion Energy SC. My good friend of almost 40 years DESC President Keller Kissam gave me the tour. During my visit of the DESC operations center, dozens of employees enthusiastically engaged me on the efforts they put forward to serve 1.3 million electric and natural gas customers across South Carolina. It was an informative tour. I gave them assurance on my focus of energy security, cybersecurity, community safety, and the desire for a fair and equitable judicial system across S.C. for those providing jobs and economic stimulus. For those in the Senate debating whether to vote for judicial reform, almost EVERYONE I interacted with had unsolicited criticism of the way we select judges and support reform. Finally, I want to give a huge thank you to all the lineman who literally put their lives at risk keeping our lights on for us.

Thank you Wolfpack! Christi & I were unable to attend parades today but our phones started pinging with photos and video from across the State of people participating and showing off our colors. Making me even more appreciative is the fact it was unsolicited and I had no idea. Our movement is marching to victory in June…and then to clean up Columbia in January! Happy St. Patrick’s Week!! ☘️

Fun and productive evening last night starting with the Union County GOP. Thank you Freddie Gault and everyone for coming out. I look forward to being back soon. People from Union to the coast are ready for real change in Columbia! Right after the meeting, I went on Mike Colvert’s podcast House of Cards in Beaufort. You can catch the interview on their YouTube page.

I want to reiterate my previous post more bluntly after the Ft. Mill School District yesterday released its Resolution aimed at protecting its students. It is now time for the Governor's Office, Attorney General's Office, and others to step up and protect Ft. Mill's children. If we won't stand up for our children, we won't stand up for anyone or thing. fortmillschools.org/post-details/~…

For more than three decades I have done the same job with the same mission: protect the innocent and prosecute the guilty. That means standing with victims, enforcing the law without fear or favor, and making sure criminals face real consequences for the harm they cause. Justice only works when someone is willing to enforce it. I have done it for 32 years and I will continue doing it as Attorney General.

The State Needs to Intervene and Halt Silfab’s Assembly and Manufacturing A lot of talk from public officials but no action. The State says York County can stop Silfab; York County says it is following the State’s lead. For many months, Fort Mill citizens have fought for a day in court with warnings that the Silfab plant is a risk to the area.  Their alarms have gone unheeded. They have produced studies demonstrating potential dangers. I am also informed of multiple purported whistleblowers whom worked at Silfab with allegedly damning information concerning the companies operations. Silfab  admits that there was a leak of hazardous material at their plant, but claims it was contained. To the neighbors and parents of children who had their children yanked from a school just yards from the plant, their assurances are not enough. Fortunately, no children were injured this time. But last week proved injury to students is a real possibility. Our state agencies who are enabled by the legislature to intervene with assistance from the Attorney General should make sure there is no threat to our children, families, and property. Our state nuisance statute  should have already been put to use by stoping Silfab before last week’s school closings took place. Now that the neighborhood’s fears have come to fruition,  action should be taken under this statute. I’m not sure how much more of a nuisance it has to be than putting children’s health and safety at risk. Disrupting the lives of families by pulling children out of school in the middle of the day because of a hazardous material spill just yards from the school is at the very least a nuisance. It is unacceptable that Silfab is allowed to open back for business.   The State of South Carolina needs to intervene now and stand with the citizens of Fort Mill giving them the day in court they’ve been fighting to have for over a year.

Yesterday, at the request of the South Carolina Bar & Tavern Association, I stood at People’s Tap in Greenville, which is now closed because it could not get liquor liability insurance that met South Carolina’s legal requirements. When a small business is told it cannot legally operate because coverage is either unavailable or unaffordable, something is badly wrong. Other hospitality businesses are facing the same pressure, and more closures are likely if nothing changes. This issue has two sides, and both need to be addressed honestly. One is economic. Insurance premiums are rising, coverage is harder to find, and businesses that have done nothing wrong are paying the price. The other is public safety. South Carolina’s roads remain among the deadliest in the country, and drunk driving is part of that problem. If we want lower risk, fewer claims, and fewer closures, then we have to deal with the conduct that helps drive the risk in the first place. That is why Senate Bill 52 matters. The Senate deserves credit for passing DUI reform unanimously. The House should do the same. Stronger DUI penalties and a system that makes these cases easier to prosecute will help keep dangerous drivers off the road. Right now, in too many places, officers are still left fighting through courtroom challenges in ways that make conviction harder than it should be. That is not how a serious state handles impaired driving in 2026. A safer state means lower risk. Lower risk means fewer deaths, fewer devastating crashes, and a more stable insurance environment for the businesses trying to survive. South Carolina needs to protect responsible establishments, but we also need to protect the public by getting serious about DUI enforcement. The Senate has acted. The House should finish the job. postandcourier.com/greenville/new…

I have seen what unchecked power looks like. I prosecuted it during the State House Corruption Probe. When power operates without consequences, it grows arrogant. It assumes immunity. It begins to protect itself instead of serving the public. South Carolina deserves an Attorney General who understands the system from the inside and is willing to confront it head-on.

I have seen what unchecked power looks like. I prosecuted it during the State House Corruption Probe. When power operates without consequences, it grows arrogant. It assumes immunity. It begins to protect itself instead of serving the public. South Carolina deserves an Attorney General who understands the system from the inside and is willing to confront it head-on.

For more than three decades, I have stood in courtrooms across this state prosecuting violent criminals, defending victims, and taking on powerful interests. I know what it means to fight when the stakes are real. I know what pressure looks like. And I know that justice only works when someone is willing to enforce it without fear or favor. Experience matters when you are up against people who believe they are untouchable.

York County Council, do your job. Fort Mill School District, make sure our children’s safety is your top priority. Since 2023, Fort Mill citizens have warned that this would happen. Parents have had to sell their homes. Others have had to pour thousands of their own dollars into a nonprofit for legal expenses battling this case. Other parents have felt compelled to home school due to concerns for their children’s safety. Maybe now public officials will begin listening to the citizens instead of lawyers…. wcnc.com/article/news/l…

🚨 WATCH: Our interview with candidate for S.C. Attorney General, David Pascoe, is now available on YouTube @davidpascoesc youtu.be/evfF524SR5w?si…

Candidate for S.C. Attorney General David Pascoe says he will fire lawyer-legislators involved in litigation retention agreements @davidpascoesc

I did not get into this race to make friends in Columbia. I got into it to restore integrity to the Attorney General’s office. Public service is not about protecting insiders, smoothing things over, or keeping the peace among the political class. It is about enforcing the law evenly and holding people accountable when they cross the line. If that makes some people uncomfortable, so be it. My loyalty is to the people of South Carolina, not to the club in Columbia. #CrushCorruption