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Issue #23.18 :: 05/05/2010 - 05/11/2010
Sparks Fly in Solicitor’s Race

National Advocacy Group Targets Candidate

BY COREY HUTCHINS

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Comments
Is Chief Deputy Johnson, a current law enforcement officer, saying that he will not stop a potential violation of the law, of which he is fully aware of a pending investigation, until the Federal Government can "show" him he is breaking the law? Maybe I am in the minority in my belief, but shouldn't we hold law enforcement officers and candidates seeking office in law enforcement to a higher standard? Why risk any appearance of impropriety? Why risk breaking the law? Both John Meadors and Dan Johnson have risen to second-in-command of their respective agencies. Both agencies receive Federal grants, subjecting them to The Hatch Act. However, while Mr. Meadors resigned from office just hours after filing to run for Solicitor, Mr. Johnson has decided against such a cautionary action. The Hatch Act aside, don't the tax payers of Richland County deserve a full-time Chief Deputy? Is it not common sense to believe that the second-in-command over the largest Sheriff's department in the State may be a little distracted from his official duties, as Chief Deputy, while he seeks election? Chief Deputy Johnson continues to draw a salary of greater than $80,000. Are we, the tax payers, being asked to pay Mr. Johnson while he turns a blind eye to own alleged illegal conduct? Are we really being asked to pay Mr. Johnson while he seeks political office? It is worth noting that should Mr. Johnson be found in violation of The Hatch Act, the Richland County Sheriff's Department could be fined two times his salary. That is over $160,000 of Richland County tax payer money that would have to be given to the Feds, simply because Mr. Johnson needed to be "shown" that he is breaking the law. Resigning from office would certainly be a monetary sacrifice for Mr. Johnson, who has no family to support. But it would be no less of a sacrifice than the one made by John Meadors, who has a wife and four children to support. And certainly no less a sacrifice than the tax payers of Richland County will have to endure if Mr. Johnson has broken the law. How can a candidate, in good conscience, continue the behave in a manner which may be illegal when he is seeking election to an office charged with upholding the law?
PatrickMay 6th 02:13pm
Mr. Hutchins--Did you bother to check out policeabuse.com before you based most of your story on their allegations? It's a commercial site run by a lawyer seeking police misconduct cases. I had to drill down a few pages to figure out that Serena Robinson runs the site to capture business for her law practice: "Trial, Mediation, Legal Research and Writing – Appeal Practice - Brief Writing." I think that's important but hey, what do I know? I'm not a journamalist.
Dixon RobertsonMay 12th 10:30am
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