This week’s statement made by SC Senator Tom Fernandez has led to a cursory inquiry by law enforcement. Senator Tom Fernandez later walked these statements back after they were picked up by multiple news outlets.
Unfortunately for Senator Tom Fernandez the statements were made on the S.C. Senate Floor, which gives the statements more weight. In this current political climate, such a statement puts direct heat on SC Senate leadership.
His statement was actually a question, “Did you know that the trial lawyer lobby has offered me campaign fundraisers in the amount of $50,000 to $100,000 per campaign if I voted against this? Did you know that?”
S.C. Senate President Thomas Alexander immediately suspended the session.
Implications of Senator Tom Fernandez’s Statement
The remarks were picked up by state-wide news agencies, like the Post and Courier. As can be seen below, Tom Fernandez remarks’ went viral, causing issues for the entire S.C. Senate Statehouse leadership. A cursory inquiry is now required.
The Trial Lawyer lobby was once called the S.C. Trial Lawyers. After the Murdaugh murders made national headlines, the S.C. Trial Lawyers renamed themselves SCAJ, South Carolina Association for Justice. Alex Murdaugh was once the president of the then S.C. Trial Lawyers.
A cursory investigation has little meaning, however. The S.C. General Assembly holds all of the power in S.C. 30% of the S.C. General Assembly are lawyers, while only 1% of S.C. residents practice law.
Sources in Columbia, however, inform us that should the statements made by Tom Fernandez, who is also a lawyer, be found untrue or intentionally misleading Senate Leadership has the right to censor the first term Senator from Berkeley.
Local News Via - MyrtleBeachSC.com
