Disgraced former South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh and his family members have given hundreds of thousands of dollars in political contributions over the years, including to top Democrats such as Hillary Clinton and President Joe Biden.
The Murdaugh family has long been influential in South Carolina’s political and legal realms. However, Murdaugh on Thursday was convicted by a South Carolina jury for the double murder of his wife and son.
Alex Murdaugh, old money SC Democrat, knew how ‘to play political game’ in red state: GOP consultanthttps://t.co/uWwnjocUUR
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 30, 2021
Murdaugh and his family have primarily donated to Democrat politicians, including two $2,700 donations to Biden and Clinton, the maximum individual contribution allowed by Federal Election Committee guidelines at the time.
However, Charleston-based Republican consultant Michael Mule told Fox News that Murdaugh “knew how to play the political game,” highlighting his contributions to Democrat and Republican politicians in South Carolina.
“Murdaugh gave money to Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Joe Cunningham, among other Democrats,” Mule said. “But he also donated to Republicans across our red state. The guy knew how to play the political game here. In politics far too often, money means power.”
In addition to national races, the Murdaugh family was heavily invested in local elections.
Mule explained:
Hundreds of thousands of dollars connected to Alex Murdaugh in political donations show that he’s no different. His influence, especially in the Lowcountry, was unmatched. The donations went from as local of an office as you can to the top of the ticket. A total between him, his wife, his father, his brother, the law firm, you’re talking hundreds of thousands of dollars.
At the local level, South Carolina’s State Ethics Commission reported roughly $140,000 in political contributions over the past decade made between Murdaugh, his wife, and his brother to State legislative and local city elections.
Further, the Island Packet reported that the Murdaugh family law firm, Peters Murdaugh Parker Eltzroth and Detrick PA, has donated more than $200,000 to political action committees since 2012.
As the outlet explained:
Such political contributions, which candidates are required to report, are not uncommon in South Carolina — a state with a well-connected, sometimes intertwined legal community. But they are one indication of the prominent family’s access to power: the people who make, interpret or enforce laws and policies in towns, counties and the state.
Among the candidates receiving contributions: Gov. Henry McMaster, $31,500 from 2008 to 2018; State Sen. Dick Harpootlian, a criminal defense lawyer who sits on the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee, $2,000 in 2020; Rep. Todd Rutherford, a member of the House Ways & Means Committee, which oversees preparation of the state budget, $1,000 in 2016; Former Rep. Bakari Sellers, $11,500 during his 2014 unsuccessful run for lieutenant governor; 14th Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone, $2,500 in 2016.
Mule said the recent criminal around Murdaugh, which include various financial crimes such as fraud, money laundering, tax evasion, and forgery, are “painting a picture of this guy who truly thought he could do anything and get away with anything.”
“The sentiment from the folks in the area is there are still several grieving families in the Lowcountry who want answers,” Mule added. “They want justice. It’s my hope that one day that these families will get just that. Answers to the questions that they have and quite frankly, justice for their loved ones.”
“South Carolina is a place where through one connection or another you really know of everybody. Especially in the Lowcountry, that hometown feel. The degrees of separation are very limited,” Mule explained. “Everyone has some sort of connection to one another. And that’s why again, it’s important to share the sentiment of what people are saying here.”
Jordan Dixon-Hamilton is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jdixonhamilton@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter.
This content was originally published here.
