Impeachment resolution introduced by SC lawmaker

University of South Carolina historian Dr. Walter Edgar says no South Carolina governor has ever been impeached and there’s been only one previous attempt.

“The only serious attempt was made in the 1870s with Gov. Robert K. Scott, one of the most corrupt governors we had during Reconstruction,“ he says. “And there actually was a bill in the House and it looked like he was going to be impeached, but then, according to very good tradition is that he bribed some legislators and was able to get out. And he, of course, bribed them with state money he was accused of stealing in the first place.“ 

He says the state has been blessed by having few governors who were thought to be corrupt or deserving of impeachment.

“Whether they’ve been good, you know, or able or not is one thing. But they really haven’t stepped over the line. So for this to reach this far, particularly to have the bill filed by a member of the governor’s own party, I think is pretty significant.“