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Alan Wilson (South Carolina politician)

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This article is about the South Carolina politician. For other uses, see Alan Wilson (disambiguation).
Alan Wilson
51st Attorney General of South Carolina
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 12, 2011
GovernorNikki Haley
Henry McMaster
Preceded byHenry McMaster
Personal details
Born
Alan McCrory

(1973-07-16) July 16, 1973 (age 51)
West Columbia, South Carolina, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
ParentJoe Wilson (adoptive father)
EducationFrancis Marion University (BA)
University of South Carolina (JD)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Army
Rank Colonel
UnitSouth Carolina National Guard
Judge Advocate General Corps

Alan McCrory Wilson (born July 16, 1973)[1] is an American lawyer, politician, and a member of the South Carolina National Guard serving as the 51st Attorney General of South Carolina since 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party.

As Attorney General of South Carolina, Wilson has litigated to block same-sex marriage, invalidate the Affordable Care Act, challenge environmental regulations, defend anti-abortion laws, and prohibit masking and vaccine requirements. He has advocated against cannabis decriminalization and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

Early life and education

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Wilson was born Alan McCrory. His father, Michael Alan McCrory, was an Army captain and Vietnam veteran who died in a military training exercise.[2] His mother, Roxanne Dusenbury McCrory, later married Joe Wilson, who currently serves as the U.S. representative for South Carolina's 2nd congressional district. Joe Wilson adopted Alan when he was three, and Alan subsequently took his surname.[3] Along with his three brothers, Alan is an Eagle Scout.[4]

Wilson graduated from Francis Marion University, where he joined the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity through the Theta Delta chapter, with a bachelor's degree in political science[1] in 1996, and received a J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 2002.[5]

Following college, he joined the South Carolina National Guard. He is currently a Colonel in the Judge Advocate General Corps.

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Wilson interned in the Attorney General's office under Charlie Condon. After law school, he worked for Judge Marc H. Westbrook of the South Carolina Circuit Court. Wilson later served as an Assistant Solicitor and as an Assistant Attorney General. In 2009, he moved to the private sector and started working at the law firm Willoughby & Hoefer in Columbia, South Carolina.

Attorney General of South Carolina

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Elections

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Wilson speaking alongside Governor Nikki Haley

Henry McMaster did not run for reelection as Attorney General, choosing instead to run for governor,[6] as incumbent Mark Sanford was term-limited. Wilson won the Republican nomination in a runoff election on June 22, 2010, receiving 60 percent of the vote against his opponent Leighton Lord.[7] Wilson defeated Democratic Party candidate Matthew Richardson in the November 2010 general election.[8]

In 2014, Wilson was reelected, defeating the Democratic nominee, Parnell Diggs.[9]

Wilson won a third term in 2018. In the contentious Republican primary, Wilson faced two challengers for renomination, state Representative Todd Atwater and attorney William Herlong of Greenville.[10] Both challengers focused on ethics issues, criticizing Wilson for his connections to the Quinns, who reached a plea deal after being embroiled in a Statehouse corruption investigation.[11] In the initial Republican primary, Wilson received 48.6%, Atwater received 29.7%, and Herlong received almost 22%; because no candidate received a majority, the nomination was decided by a primary runoff election.[10][12] Although Herlong endorsed Atwater in the runoff,[12] Wilson won renomination, receiving about 65% of the vote to Atwater's 35%.[10] In the 2018 general election, Wilson received about 55% of the vote, defeating the Democratic nominee, Constance Anastopoulo.[11]

Investigation of campaign contributions

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In 2013, Wilson self-reported his campaign failed to report at least 84 contributions and expenditures on required public reports. In February 2013, Wilson originally admitted his campaign failed to disclose and report receiving at least 15 separate contributions of unknown amounts.[13] A further investigation in March 2013 revealed at least 68 unreported contributions and 16 unreported expenditures. As the errors were self-reported and the reports were subsequently re-filed, Wilson faced no penalties.[14]

False election-fraud claims

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On January 12, 2012, Wilson falsely claimed on Fox News that "We found out that there were over 900 people who died and then subsequently voted. That number could be even higher than that."[15][16] These claims were untrue, and an exhaustive investigation by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division found no evidence to support the claims of "zombie voters" in South Carolina.[16]

Same-sex marriage

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In 2014, Wilson asked the South Carolina Supreme Court to block the issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples in the state.[17] Wilson waged an exhaustive legal fight to block same-sex marriage in South Carolina, and in 2015, U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel ordered Wilson to pay more than $134,000 in attorneys' fees to plaintiffs who successfully challenged the state's ban on same-sex marriage.[18]

Affordable Care Act litigation

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Wilson supported lawsuits to invalidate the Affordable Care Act.[19][20][21]

Threatened litigation against DACA

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In July 2017, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton led a group of Republican attorneys general from nine other states, including Wilson, plus Idaho Governor Butch Otter, in threatening that they would litigate against the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy that had been put into place by President Barack Obama.[22][23][24]

Corruption investigation

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See also: South Carolina Statehouse corruption investigation

In late 2013, a State Law Enforcement Division report focusing on former state House Speaker House Bobby Harrell was transferred to the AG's office. The report mentioned state representatives Rick Quinn Sr. and Rick Quinn Jr. suggesting misconduct by the younger Quinn. In early 2014, Wilson recused himself from the investigation and appointed David Pascoe, the solicitor for the 1st Judicial Circuit, as special prosecutor. Harrell pleaded guilty and resigned from the House in late 2014. Pascoe urged the AG's Office to investigate the Quinns.[25] After Harrell pleaded guilty to misusing campaign money and resigned from the House in late 2014, Pascoe emailed the attorney general's office, urging the Quinns be investigated.[25] Wilson secretly recruited Quinn to assist in drafting a response letter to Pascoe, saying that his role as a special prosecutor was complete; Wilson later said that this was a mistake.[25][26]

In March 2016, after Pascoe continued to use the state grand jury to investigate possible corruption in the General Assembly, Wilson attempted to fire Pascoe, triggering a political firestorm in the state.[25][27][28] Adam Piper, a Wilson aide, launched a secret effort to smear Pascoe.[25][29] Pascoe challenged Wilson's attempt to fire him, arguing that the attorney general could not do so after previously recusing himself on the grounds of a conflict of interest.[28] In July 2016, the South Carolina Supreme Court sided with Pascoe on a 4–1 decision, rejecting Wilson's attempt to fire him as special prosecutor.[25][30] Ultimately, the younger Rick Quinn resigned from office and pleaded guilty to a reduced charge, while the elder Quinn agreed to testify before the state grand jury, and his consulting firm pleaded guilty to failing to register as a lobbyist.[25]

In October 2018, after a two-year investigation, a state grand jury issued a 270-page report on corruption in South Carolina, including blurred relationships between businesses, legislators, lobbyists, and political consultants. The grand jury determined that Wilson's failure to act following the guilty plea of Harrell and the Quinns impeded an investigation into state government corruption, although it made no finding as to Wilson's intent.[31] The investigation and the report focused in part on Wilson's close ties to Richard Quinn, a prominent Republican political strategist in the state, and his son Rick Quinn Jr., who had been a member of the state House.[25][32] Wilson had paid the elder Quinn's firm more than $220,000 for political strategy services in two election campaigns.[25] Wilson denied wrongdoing and asserted that the 2018 grand jury's report was politically motivated.[31] Judge Clifton Newman ordered that the report be released to the public.[33]

Environmental litigation

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In 2021, Wilson joined a Republican lawsuit challenging President Biden's order directing federal agencies to consider the costs of greenhouse gas pollution in making decisions.[34] Wilson also joined another lawsuit challenging Biden's decision to revoke the federal permit for the Keystone XL Pipeline, an oil pipeline project 1,000 miles from South Carolina.[35]

Abortion litigation

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A staunch opponent of abortion, Wilson defended a state law banning most abortions in South Carolina from a constitutional challenge.[36] In 2021, Wilson joined a U.S. Supreme Court filing calling on the Court to overturn Roe v. Wade.[37][38]

Opposition to cannabis decriminalization

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In January 2019, Wilson described cannabis as "the most dangerous drug, because it is the most misunderstood drug" in the United States while denouncing legislation that would allow physicians to prescribe medical marijuana for patients.[39] Wilson was one of 16 state attorneys general who did not support the SAFE Banking Act, which permitted the use of the banking system by cannabis-related businesses in states and territories in which cannabis is legal.[40]

Wilson is the respondent of an ongoing lawsuit which alleges that Wilson and SLED denied him due process when they destroyed his hemp farm.[41]

Efforts to challenge 2020 presidential election outcome

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Main article: Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election

In December 2020, Wilson joined a lawsuit by 16 Republican state attorneys general urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, specifically by challenging Joe Biden's victory in four states.[42][43] The suit was based on Donald Trump's false claim of election fraud.[43] The next month, in advance of the January 6 attack on the United States Capitol by a pro-Trump mob, the Republican Attorneys General Association, then chaired by Wilson, made robocalls encouraging "patriots" to march on Washington and demand that Congress overturn the election results and keep Trump in power.[42] Wilson later acknowledged Biden as the election's winner on January 11, 2021.[42][44] He said he was "completely unaware" of the Republican Attorneys General Association robocalls; the group's executive director, a former Wilson aide Adam Piper, resigned.[42]

Five South Carolina attorneys subsequently filed complaints with the South Carolina Office of Disciplinary Counsel against Wilson, alleging that his participation in the Trump conspiracy lawsuit was an abuse of office that attempted to disenfranchise voters and had the effect of inflaming the subsequent insurrection. Wilson denied wrongdoing.[42][45]

COVID-19 pandemic

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Further information: COVID-19 pandemic in South Carolina

Wilson was one of 20 Republican state attorneys general who claimed that a portion of President Biden's COVID-19 relief package (specifically, a provision that states could not redirect federal stimulus money to reduce state tax rates) was unconstitutional.[46]

In August 2021, ahead of the start of the 2021–2022 school year and amid an increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the state, Wilson said that the University of South Carolina could not implement indoor mask requirements for campus access. Wilson contended that a proviso (a type of state budget measure) passed by the General Assembly earlier that year prohibited such a mandate.[47][48] After Wilson's intervention, the university dropped the requirement.[49] However, later the same month, the South Carolina Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision that rejected Wilson's interpretation,[50][48] and the University of South Carolina reinstated its mask mandate.[48]

Wilson challenged the Joe Biden administration's vaccine requirement for large businesses.[51]

Personal life

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Wilson and his wife, Jennifer (née Miskewicz), a former WIS-TV news reporter, have two children.[1] [52] Wilson joined the South Carolina National Guard in 1996 and received the Combat Action Badge for service in Iraq.[4] Wilson's brother, Julian Wilson, is co-owner of the gun manufacturer and retailer Palmetto State Armory.[53]

Electoral history

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South Carolina Attorney General Republican Primary Election, 2010
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Alan Wilson 150,404 38.94
Republican Leighton Lord 143,339 37.12
Republican Robert Bolchoz 92,457 23.94
South Carolina Attorney General Republican Primary Runoff Election, 2010
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Alan Wilson 205,851 59.79
Republican Leighton Lord 138,444 40.21
South Carolina Attorney General Election, 2010
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Alan Wilson 716,193 53.74
Democratic Matthew Richardson 589,135 44.20
Green Leslie Minerd 27,008 2.03
Write-ins Write-ins 470 0.04
South Carolina Attorney General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Alan Wilson (inc.) 738,434 60.26
Democratic Parnell Diggs 486,058 39.67
Write-ins Write-ins 879 0.07
South Carolina Attorney General Republican Primary Election, 2018
Candidate Votes %
Alan Wilson 166,220 48.6
Todd Atwater 101,661 29.7
William Herlong 73,882 21.6

References

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  1. ^ a b c "2010 statewide candidate biographies". The State. McClatchy Company. October 28, 2010. Archived from the original on August 13, 2012. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
  2. ^ Simon, Darran (February 15, 2004). "Congressman with military ties backs Iraq war". The Island Packet. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
  3. ^ Roig-Franzia, Manuel (June 21, 2010). "Joe Wilson's stepson vs. insurance mogul's son-in-law in South Carolina runoff". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
  4. ^ a b "MEET ALAN WILSON". Alan Wilson for Attorney General. Alan Wilson for Attorney General. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
  5. ^ "Alan Wilson: Republican Candidate for Attorney General". News Radio WORD. Entercom Communications. Archived from the original on September 29, 2011. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
  6. ^ Monk, John (January 30, 2011). "New attorney general sets priorities". The State. McClatchy Company. Archived from the original on February 5, 2011. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
  7. ^ "Joe Wilson's son wins runoff for AG". Associated Press. Associated Press. June 22, 2010. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
  8. ^ Smith, Glenn (November 3, 2010). "Wilson easily wins AG post in 1st bid". The Post and Courier. Charleston, SC.
  9. ^ Lillia Callum-Penso, Alan Wilson wins SC attorney general race, Greenville News (November 5, 2014).
  10. ^ a b c Joseph Cranney, AG Alan Wilson wins GOP nomination, overcomes contentious primary, Post & Courier (June 26, 2018).
  11. ^ a b Seanna Adcox, Alan Wilson wins 3rd term as SC's top prosecutor, Post & Courier.
  12. ^ a b Tim Smith, GOP runoff for South Carolina Attorney General: Alan Wilson vs. Todd Atwater, The Greenville News (June 20, 2018).
  13. ^ [1] Archived 2013-04-10 at archive.today "SC Attorney General Didn't Report Campaign Contributions", The Columbia Free Times, February 21, 2013.
  14. ^ [2] Archived 2013-03-24 at the Wayback Machine "SC Attorney General discovers $134,000 in unreported contributions, expenses," The State Newspaper, March 22, 2013.
  15. ^ YouTube, a Google company. YouTube. Archived from the original on 2013-07-26.
  16. ^ a b Kessler, Glenn (July 26, 2013). "The case of 'zombie' voters in South Carolina". The Washington Post.
  17. ^ "Attorney Gen. asks to halt gay marriage licenses in SC". Associated Press. October 8, 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-10-15.
  18. ^ Eva Moore, Judge Orders Alan Wilson to Pay Attorneys' Fees in S.C. Same-Sex Marriage Case, Post & Courier (August 11, 2015).
  19. ^ Lauren Sausser. "S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson joins fight to overturn Affordable Care Act". Post and Courier. Retrieved 2021-08-07.
  20. ^ "'ObamaCare' Challengers Say 'This Is Not About Health Care'". ABC News. Retrieved 2021-08-07.
  21. ^ "South Carolina attorney general applauds ruling on health care overhaul". Associated Press. 2018-12-15. Retrieved 2021-08-07 – via WCIV.
  22. ^ Tennessee’s attorney general: I’ve changed my mind, DACA is good, pass the DREAM Act, Vox.com, Dara Linddara, September 1, 2017. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  23. ^ Texas leads 10 states in urging Trump to end Obama-era immigration program, Texas Tribune, Julián Aguilar, June 29, 2017. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  24. ^ SPLC denounces letter from 10 Attorneys General seeking "cruel and heartless" repeal of DACA, Southern Poverty Law Center, June 30, 2017. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  25. ^ a b c d e f g h i John Monk, Haunted by Quinns, Alan Wilson seeks third term as SC attorney general, The State (May 18, 2018).
  26. ^ Glenn Smith, Emails: South Carolina AG coordinated with key figure in statehouse probe on letter booting special prosecutor off case, Post & Courier (August 5, 2017).
  27. ^ Jeremy Borden, Attorney General Tries to Fire Special Prosecutor, Sets Off Firestorm, Post & Courier (May 16, 2019).
  28. ^ a b John Monk, Special prosecutor says attorney general can't fire him from corruption probe, The State (March 31, 2016).
  29. ^ John Monk, SC attorney general's deputy secretly tried to discredit special prosecutor, The State (April 5, 2016).
  30. ^ John Monk, SC Attorney General Wilson loses bid to stop Pascoe from investigating General Assembly, The State (July 16, 2016).
  31. ^ a b Jeffrey Collins, State Grand Jury: Attorney General impeded corruption probe, Associated Press (October 9, 2018).
  32. ^ Kirk Brown, S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson hasn't severed ties to controversial Quinn family, The Greenville News (June 4, 2018).
  33. ^ "Judge orders release of SC political corruption report". AP NEWS. 2018-10-03. Retrieved 2023-03-07.
  34. ^ Sammy Fretwell, SC attorney general joins fight against Biden's recent climate change order, The State (March 9, 2021).
  35. ^ Sammy Fretwell, SC attorney general joins lawsuit against Biden over Great Plains oil pipeline, The State (March 18, 2021).
  36. ^ Meg Kinnard, Prosecutors seek validation of South Carolina abortion ban, Associated Press (March 2, 2021).
  37. ^ Jessica Holdman, SC Attorney General Wilson joins in support of Mississippi abortion ban to Supreme Court, Post & Courier (July 30, 2021).
  38. ^ David Travis Bland, SC's top prosecutor joins group to support abortion ban case in front of Supreme Court, The State (July 30, 2021).
  39. ^ Andrew Brown (January 23, 2019). "SC police, doctors fighting medical marijuana; AG calls it US's 'most dangerous drug'". Post and Courier.
  40. ^ Attorneys general from 33 states urge banking reform for pot industry, Associated Press, May 8, 2019. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
  41. ^ "South Carolina cannabis fight persists in farmer's lawsuit". AP NEWS. 2022-09-23. Retrieved 2023-03-07.
  42. ^ a b c d e South Carolina AG faces complaint over election challenge, Associated Press (January 23, 2021).
  43. ^ a b John Monk, SC AG Wilson joins Texas in trying to nullify Biden election, The State (December 10, 2020).
  44. ^ John Monk, SC's AG Alan Wilson: Biden is legitimate, Pence had no power to overturn election, The State (January 11, 2021).
  45. ^ John Monk, SC lawyers say SC AG Wilson participated in Trump conspiracy lawsuit, seek reprimand, The State (January 27, 2021).
  46. ^ Alan Benson, SC Attorney General calls portion of Biden’s COVID-19 relief plan unconstitutional, Post & Courier (March 17, 2021).
  47. ^ Kinnard, Meg (August 3, 2021). "SC attorney general says University of South Carolina can't require masks on campus". Associated Press.
  48. ^ a b c John Monk & Lucas Daprile, USC can require masks on campus, SC supreme court rules, The State (August 19, 2021).
  49. ^ Lucas Daprile & John Monk (August 5, 2021). "USC reverses course after SC's top lawyer says college can't require masks indoors". The State.
  50. ^ Creswick v. Univ. of S. Carolina (August 17, 2021).
  51. ^ Hals, Tom; Scarcella, Mike (2021-12-18). "U.S. COVID-19 vaccine mandate revived, Supreme Court showdown looms". Reuters. Retrieved 2021-12-18.
  52. ^ "Jennifer Anne Miskewicz, Alan Wilson to marry in fall". New Jersey Hills Media Group. June 11, 2006. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  53. ^ Holdman, Jessica (27 April 2021). "SC's Palmetto State Armory signs tax deal for former West Columbia brake plant". The Post and Courier. Archived from the original on 10 November 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2022. The agreement was signed by the chief financial officer of JJE Capital Holdings, the private equity firm behind Palmetto State Armory helmed by co-owners Jamin McCallum, Edward Laroque and Julian Wilson, the son of U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-Springdale, and brother of S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson.
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Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for Attorney General of South Carolina
2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 		Most recent
Legal offices
Preceded by Attorney General of South Carolina
2011–present 		Incumbent
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