Alan Wilson for Attorney General » News

Greenville News Endorsement

admin — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 20:32:44 +0000

Wilson for S.C. Attorney General

Of the two major-party candidates running to replace Henry McMaster as the attorney general of South Carolina, Alan Wilson brings the most prosecutorial experience and solid leadership qualities to this race. Wilson had to win a tough Republican primary to earn the right to face Democrat Matthew Richardson. A third-party candidate also is in this race.

Wilson and Richardson fall short of the impressive credentials of the current office holder. Henry McMaster had been a successful U.S. attorney for South Carolina who proved his mettle early on in some corruption cases, and the attorney general before McMaster, Charlie Condon, had been a respected solicitor who represented Charleston and Berkeley counties.

While a bit more seasoning certainly would have been preferred, each candidate meets what voters should consider minimum requirements for the job. Although based in Columbia, Richardson is an attorney with the Greenville-based Wyche firm. He’s smart, has handled complex legal cases, and has a good understanding of the office he is seeking. He also has a legal pedigree that comes from being the grandson of the legendary Bubba Ness of Bamberg, an exceptionally tough judge who served as chief justice of the S.C. Supreme Court before retiring and returning to private practice.

Wilson has fewer years as an attorney under his belt — about seven compared to Richardson’s 12 years experience. And Wilson has his own political pedigree, that of being the son of Rep. Joe Wilson of the 2nd Congressional District.

Alan Wilson has some experience as an assistant solicitor in Lexington County and as an assistant attorney general. Where he gains the most respect is in his combat service in Iraq as an officer with the Army National Guard. He led troops during the stress of war, and he served with distinction. This speaks volumes about his leadership abilities.

The Attorney General’s Office has not escaped budget cuts, and neither have all the solicitor’s offices across the state that handle the bulk of criminal cases. Wilson has some good ideas in this area. For example, he wants to loan prosecutors from the Attorney General’s Office to local prosecutors to help them reduce their backlog of cases. He supports more diversionary programs, when appropriate, such as drug courts. And he has a novel idea that’s worth a try: Using pro bono lawyers to help prosecute cases in the same manner they are used for public defense work. Such ideas show the creativity needed during tough economic times, because an often-forgotten truism is that timely prosecution of criminal cases is a key component of public safety.

One of the most important challenges for this state’s attorney general is deciding which cases to wade into and where to put the office’s limited resources. McMaster generally has done a good job of resisting purely political moves and largely devoting the authority of his office to protecting important rights of this state.

Wilson and Richardson agree, at least in large part, on some of the big legal issues facing our state. Both understand the importance of protecting South Carolina’s water rights. They also understand the state’s interest in opening Yucca Mountain in Nevada as the nuclear waste storage site it was intended to be for the nation.

Even in the area of challenging the constitutionality of the “individual mandate” requirement under the health-care reform law recently passed by Congress at the urging of President Barack Obama, there is some agreement. Wilson is fired up and ready to continue the legal fight McMaster has started with the multi-state lawsuit that centers on whether the federal government can require people to buy health insurance.

Richardson would be more measured in his approach. While he sees value in the lawsuit, he said South Carolina should not take a lead role that could be costly, but instead allow other states to spend their dollars as the lead litigant.

Both Wilson and Richardson are credible candidates for this race. The Greenville News endorses Wilson based on his more relevant experience and the leadership qualities he already has demonstrated.

New TV Ad – “Only”

admin — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 16:32:37 +0000

The only prosecutor running for Attorney General is Alan Wilson.

Alan is a combat veteran. Proud husband and father. Former Assistant Attorney General.

Endorsed by a majority of sheriffs and the Fraternal Order of Police.

Alan Wilson – the only candidate who’s put criminals behind bars. The only one we can trust to stand up to Barack Obama – and fight for the repeal of Obamacare.

Alan Wilson – a real prosecutor, fighting for us.

View:

Charleston Mercury Endorsement

admin — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:58:30 +0000

Attorney General

Alan Wilson is determined to be a solid attorney general, and we think it would be wise to keep this seat in the hands of the GOP. With a distinguished military background, Alan Wilson has the leadership skills to operate in a crisis, and we wish him well.

Wilson: SC must lead on health care suit

admin — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 23:35:15 +0000

GOP’s Wilson: SC must lead on health care suit

By MEG KINNARD
Associated Press Writer

South Carolina must stay in the forefront of a federal lawsuit over President Barack Obama’s health care package, the Republican seeking to become South Carolina’s next attorney general said Thursday, challenging his Democratic opponent to take on his own party.

“I’m going to be a leader on this issue, and I think that he wants to sit on the sidelines and do nothing about it,” Alan Wilson said during an availability at a West Columbia medical practice. “No one else is going to take care of South Carolina, but South Carolina.”

Appearing with Wilson on Thursday was Attorney General Henry McMaster, the man Wilson and Democrat Matthew Richardson are seeking to replace. Earlier this year, McMaster and his Florida counterpart, Republican Bill McCollum, teamed up to rally other attorneys general in opposition to the health care reform package.

Just minutes after Obama signed the 10-year, $938 billion health care reform bill into law in March, McCollum filed a lawsuit in federal court in Florida, arguing that provisions requiring individuals to have health insurance or be penalized through taxes and expanding states’ Medicaid programs are unconstitutional.

The lawsuit is likely to end up before the U.S. Supreme Court. The Obama administration had asked a federal judge to dismiss the entire lawsuit, saying the federal government can require that citizens buy health insurance or face tax penalties under its constitutional power to regulate interstate commerce. Last week, that judge ruled that he wanted to hear further arguments on the health insurance mandate and Medicaid expansion issues.

Richardson has said he agrees with the lawsuit in principle, concurring with Republicans McMaster and Wilson that the federal government should not be allowed to require all Americans to carry health insurance. But Richardson has said he wants to make sure that South Carolina does not get saddled with legal bills that other states could shoulder.

Wilson has served as a prosecutor at the county and state level, says he has the experience to see the health care lawsuit through and questioned the ability of Richardson, who serves as a committeeman for the Democratic National Committee, to take on his own party.

“Is he going to be willing to stand up and not only say, ‘You’re wrong, this bill is wrong,’ but actively work to fight it?” Wilson asked.

Richardson, who hasn’t worked as a prosecutor but has practiced law nearly five years longer that Wilson, said Thursday that, as the state’s top prosecutor, he would protect the rights of South Carolinians – even if that means taking on national Democrats.

“Unlike my opponent, I have practiced in the federal courts where this case will be heard and decided. This is too important for on-the-job training by a lawyer with no experience in the federal courts,” Richardson said. “Unlike my opponent, I will not waste the money of the people of this state on political lawsuits and posturing.”

McMaster said Thursday that South Carolina and the 19 other states suing the Obama administration are sharing a $50,000 legal bill, of which South Carolina has agreed to pay about $5,000.

Briefs in the national health care lawsuit are due Nov. 4 – two days after the general election – with arguments expected in mid-December.

Herald Journal Endorses Wilson for Attorney General

admin — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 13:11:30 +0000

Wilson for attorney general

He has the background and the vision to serve South Carolina well

Published: Thursday, October 21, 2010, Spartanburg Herald Journal

Alan Wilson has the leadership qualities and vision for the Attorney General’s Office that will serve the citizens of this state well.

Wilson is running to be the top prosecutor in the state, and he has prosecutorial experience. He has served as assistant solicitor in Lexington County and as assistant attorney general.

He also has some excellent leadership experience. He is a major in the S.C. National Guard who led men in combat in Iraq in 2007.

Those qualities are likely to combine to make Wilson an effective attorney general. And he has worthwhile plans for the office.

Wilson is correct in pointing out that state and federal authorities have focused on law enforcement but have left the court system undermanned. He wants to loan prosecutors from the Attorney General’s Office to circuit solicitors to help them try cases and reduce court backlogs.

He wants to use new lawyers to prosecute victimless crimes and increase the office’s pro bono program to help prosecute criminal domestic violence cases.

Wilson also plans to run periodic seminars for law enforcement officers across the state to update their training on legal issues such as maintaining chains of evidence and testifying in court.

He is committed to pursuing the state’s lawsuit — along with 19 other states — against the federal government, challenging the constitutional authority of the federal health care changes. That suit is necessary to determine where the limits of federal authority lie.

Wilson is also committed to holding the federal government to the agreements it made with the state regarding the nuclear waste stored at the Savannah River Site. It is unlikely that Washington will remove that dangerous material from this state under the timetable to which it agreed. South Carolina will need a strong leader to demand compensation from the federal government.

Wilson, a Republican, is opposed by Democrat Matthew Richardson. Richardson is a bright attorney who espouses many conservative positions. He wants to focus on public corruption.

It would be better if either of the candidates had served a few years as a circuit solicitor, running a prosecuting agency, but neither has. Wilson has some experience as a prosecutor and in the Attorney General’s Office. That gives him an edge.

Wilson has some of the experience needed for the job. He has the personal qualities and the vision for the office that recommend him to South Carolina voters. He is the best choice as the Palmetto State’s next attorney general.

The State Endorsement

admin — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 11:33:21 +0000

The State | Tuesday, October, 19 2010

Wilson has potential to be good attorney general

THE MOST striking thing about this year’s race for attorney general is how much less prepared the candidates are for the job than previous attorneys general. Republican Alan Wilson and Democrat Matthew Richardson both seem to be sincere, well-intentioned candidates who understand that the attorney general’s job is to defend the law, whether he likes it or not, and not to use the courts to rewrite the law. But they have less legal experience between them than previous attorneys general have had individually.

This is no small matter. The attorney general runs an important state agency and needs to have the sound judgment and political independence to inspire public confidence in his decisions on criminal and civil matters and in his opinions on complex legal issues. Both men do have qualities that could serve them well in the office, but both also have some shortcomings beyond inexperience.

Mr. Richardson has practiced law longer than Mr. Wilson (12 years vs. seven), he is highly regarded as a smart and capable attorney, and he seems sincere when he says he just wants to practice law. His promise to focus on corruption could be a useful counterbalance in our Republican-controlled state, and though we generally don’t go for this sort of thing, there’s something attractive about his pledge not to run for any other office, given how much better off we’d be if Henry McMaster had decided to stay on. But Mr. Richardson has no demonstrated ability as a leader or a manager, and it’s disturbing that he criticizes Mr. Wilson for being partisan without mentioning that he serves as the state’s Democratic national committeeman, which is an entirely partisan position. And he seems to hold an eight-year-old grudge over the lawsuit Charlie Condon brought to stop then-Gov. Jim Hodges from unconstitutionally appropriating money, resulting in a unanimous rebuke of the governor by the Supreme Court. That he would bring up this suit himself and argue that it shouldn’t have been filed when the governor’s actions were so clearly out of line raises questions about his ability to separate his loyalties from his legal judgment.

In addition to having even less legal experience, Mr. Wilson does indeed show some troubling signs of partisanship, with his all-too-eager embrace of national hot-button Republican issues and the suggestion that he would continue gubernatorial candidate McMaster’s disturbing practice of spending precious state resources seeking to undo congressional actions. But he seems to be more focused on crime fighting, which we hope would limit his dalliances with such distractions, and he has some fairly promising ideas for increasing the use of pro bono prosecutors and diversionary programs. He does have some experience as a prosecutor, and we cannot discount his experience leading troops in war. It might seem an old-fashioned notion, but serving in the military, particularly in a war zone, truly does develop or reinforce valuable traits, from leadership skills to the ability to work with people you might not normally encounter.

Perhaps that experience played a role in the most encouraging thing about Mr. Wilson: his promise to seek out advice from across the political and legal spectrum. This isn’t something we had to drag out of him. It’s something he brought up, and kept returning to. It’s something he’s promised to others. It’s something that seems central to who he is. And given the shortcomings of both candidates, it is for us that deciding factor that makes him the slightly more attractive choice. If Mr. Wilson is able to follow through, if he’s able to approach the job with an open mind, if he’s willing to learn from the capable staff in the office, he could turn out to be a good attorney general.

Stop Obama Care Rally In Charleston

admin — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 15:34:00 +0000

STOP OBAMACARE PRESS RALLY SET FOR TUESDAY
Wilson and Scott to Host a Rally and Press Conference Against ObamaCare

NORTH CHARLESTON, SC – Republican nominee for Attorney General Alan Wilson will join Republican nominee for U.S. Congress Tim Scott for a rally and press conference against ObamaCare on Tuesday.

The Stop Obamacare Rally will be held at 10:00 am on Tuesday, October 19, 2010 at the Charleston Victory Headquarters, located at 7671 Northwoods Blvd, Suite G in North Charleston, SC 29406.

Last week, a Federal Judge in Florida issued an order allowing the lawsuit filed by twenty states and their Attorneys General to go forward against Obamacare.

Stopping Obamacare requires an Attorney General, who will lead the fight against the unconstitutional bill and its consequences in the courtroom as well as a Congressional delegation which will lead the fight to repeal the bill in the halls of Congress.

Wilson and Scott will address the media and supporters regarding the unconstitutionality and the consequences of Obamacare for approximately 30 minutes.

WHO: Alan Wilson and Tim Scott
WHAT: Rally and Press Conference Against Obamacare
WHEN: 10:00 am, Tuesday, October 19, 2010.
WHERE: Charleston Victory Headquarters, 7671 Northwood Blvd, Suite 6, North Charleston, SC

Stopping ObamaCare Must Be Top Priority

admin — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 00:19:44 +0000

WILSON SAYS STOPPING OBAMA CARE MUST BE TOP PRIOTITY FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL

Republican Candidate Cites Affidavit as Proof “Obama Care” Threatens Disaster for SC

COLUMBIA, SC – In response to breaking news that compliance with just one provision of “ObamaCare” would cost South Carolina an additional $20 Million in tax funds next year, Alan Wilson, Republican candidate for Attorney General, released the following statement:

“Today’s news brings to light the catastrophic consequences that President Obama’s system of socialized medicine will bring to South Carolina unless we take aggressive action to stop it.

“As Attorney General, I will fight to block this unconstitutional effort by the government in Washington to rob South Carolinia’s taxpayers of their personal and economic freedom.

“ObamaCare constitutes one of the greatest threats to personal freedom in our lifetime. If implemented, this law would devastate our economy and trample on the fundamental rights of American citizens.

“South Carolina’s next Attorney General must be prepared to stand up to the Obama Administration and not follow them off the cliff. To that end, I make this pledge: As Attorney General, I will fight to protect South Carolina and to stop this unconstitutional effort to centralize unprecedented powers in Washington, D.C.”

Wilson’s statement and pledge is a direct response to today’s news release from Attorney General Henry McMaster and the general threats posed by ObamaCare.

McMaster’s released a September 28 sworn affidavit from South Carolina Employee Insurance Program Director Stephen Van Camp that was submitted this week as part of the twenty (20) states’ lawsuit seeking to overturn the federal health care law.

McMaster’s release informed South Carolinians that Van Camp’s affidavit revealed provisions of ObamaCare will cost South Carolina 19.34 million on January 1, 2011 and that “Van Camp also indicated that if the state did not increase the employee co-insurance or co-payment costs, the South Carolina could incur additional costs of $60-70 million and could face a non-compliance penalty of $240,000,000.”

Next week, Judge Roger Vinson is expected to rule on the states’ case on October 14^th in federal court in Tallahassee, Florida.

Wilson, a former Assistant Solicitor and a former Assistant Attorney, also served a tour of duty in Iraq. He and his wife Jennifer have two young children, Michael and Anna Grace.

Small Business Owners Back Wilson for Attorney General

admin — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 13:56:35 +0000

SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS BACK WILSON FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL
Wilson’s Pledge to Fight Obama Care Attracts Small Business Support

COLUMBIA, SC — Alan Wilson, Republican nominee for Attorney, announced the endorsement of the South Carolina arm of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB/SC) and its nearly 5,000 small business members.

The NFIB is one of the lead plaintiffs in the national lawsuit challenging federal health care reform, which is supported by nineteen state Attorneys General including South Carolina’s Henry McMaster.

Wilson is the only candidate for Attorney General ready to continue South Carolina’s support of the lawsuit if elected to be South Carolina’s Attorney General. The Obama care lawsuit will be argued with direction from the next Attorney General.

“We believe, based on your extensive prosecutorial experience and the philosophies articulated by your campaign…that you are the best person to serve as the Palmetto State’s next Attorney General,” wrote Walter Carr, Chairman of the NFIB/SC Leadership Council.

“It is an honor and a privilege to have the support of the small business community. As Attorney General, I will continue South Carolina’s leadership role in challenging the constitutionality of the Obama administration’s federal health care take over. All South Carolinians including the small business owners who employ nearly 70% of the state’s workforce cannot afford the most expansive and unconstitutional entitlement program in American history,” Wilson said.

Wilson’s opponent serves on the Democrat National Committee and is a strong political backer of Obama.

“Clearly, I’m the only candidate prepared to fight the Obama administration in court and challenge the constitutionality of Obama Care,” Wilson continued.

“The Attorney General takes an oath to defend the Constitution of this state and the United States day in and day out. As a prosecutor and a soldier, I have taken that solemn oath and will continue to do everything possible, including taking the federal government to court, in order to protect and defend the Constitution for future generations,” Wilson concluded.

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Paid for by Wilson for Attorney General

Congrats USC Baseball, 2010 National Champs

admin — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 21:44:35 +0000

We have a lot of time to discuss tough issues, but there’s also a time to come together. This is one such time as we celebrate the USC baseball team winning the 2010 College World Series.