SC Ethics Commission stops silencing whistleblowers after free-speech lawsuit

By Avery G. Wilks

COLUMBIA — The State Ethics Commission will no longer silence whistleblowers who file complaints accusing South Carolina public officials of misconduct, agency leaders decided this week.

The move reverses a practice that goes back at least to the early 1990s. It has long been criticized for giving cover to politicians accused of misconduct and shielding the Ethics Commission itself from scrutiny of how it addresses those allegations.

The change comes seven months after a Columbia attorney filed a federal lawsuit alleging the public misconduct watchdog’s gag orders violate free-speech protections that are guaranteed in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

“That is fabulous news,” said Lynn Teague, a good government advocate for the League of Women Voters. “The public has been shut out by that provision, and the public should be aware of how they’re handling things.”

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