Harrell vs. Wilson on full display after judge's ruling in ethics case

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - The war continues between powerful House Speaker Bobby Harrell and powerful prosecutor Alan Wilson. The battle between the two Republican politicians involves Wilson's efforts to pursue possible charges against Harrell on potential ethics violations.

The latest in this case comes on the heels of a ruling from Richland County Circuit Court Judge Casey Manning that orders Wilson to cease his investigation into Harrell.

Wilson's office and Harrell's office spent parts of Tuesday firing off dueling press releases and fresh criticisms against each other.

Harrell accused Wilson of defying Manning's court order while Wilson said he would continue to work on the case and possibly look at a state Supreme Court appeal.

A Wilson spokesman says the office will not be taking criminal issues to the State Grand Jury right now, but the jury is not dissolved and will work on other cases.

The way Harrell saw things, Wilson was defying Judge Manning's orders.

"He's supposed to be the chief law enforcement officer of the state," said Harrell. "You would expect the chief law enforcement officer to follow the law and he is clearly defying what the court has told him to do."

Harrell brushed aside comments from other attorneys general who showed up a week and a half ago to support Wilson.

Wilson is in Washington DC and not available to comment directly. His spokesman, Mark Powell, did issue a statement late Tuesday afternoon indicating that after consulting with SLED Chief Mark Keel, Wilson and Keel determined it would be inappropriate to release a SLED report into Harrell's activities, citing the ongoing criminal investigation and pending appeal to the state Supreme Court.

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