CHESTER, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) South Carolina House Representative John King says Chester’s citizens should know more about the man who founded watchdog organization Chester Citizens for Ethical Government (CCEG) in 2018 and his status as a registered sex offender. Rep. King’s brother, former Chester city council member William R. King, II, had to vacate his seat after CCEG filed a lawsuit saying he should not have been allowed to run because of his prior felony convictions.
THE LAWSUIT
In 2018, CCEG filed a lawsuit showing William King had multiple felony convictions for writing fraudulent checks in 2004. The South Carolina Constitution says a person convicted of a felony can’t file for or hold office for 15 years after they finish serving their sentence unless they have been pardoned. William King was pardoned, but that was after he was elected. A judge ruled that he had to vacate his seat because at the time of the elections, he wasn’t eligible to run.
Representative John King says his brother never hid his story or past struggles. Rep. King says his brother never caused harm to the public, and the victim in this case was his own mother. Rep. King says his brother turned his life around and used his message to inspire others during his campaign.
“My brother told his story as he walked and knocked on doors,” Rep. King told CN2 News, “People knew my brother’s story. And they still went to the polls and they voted for him.”
Rep. King says his brother was told he was registered to vote and therefore eligible to run for office. When CCEG’s lawsuit was first filed in 2018, Chester County’s attorney told CN2 News that the election commission uses a special state database to check out candidates. When the search was done on William King, the county’s attorney says it came back clean.
CCEG argued that William King signed off on paperwork saying he met qualifications to run for office, some of which stated the rules about felony convictions.
CHESTER CITIZENS FOR ETHICAL GOVERNMENT (CCEG)
According to records from the South Carolina Secretary of State, CCEG was registered as a nonprofit by Jeremy Clark in 2018. Clark spoke to CN2 News that same year, describing the organization as “a little group of people who care about Chester and aren’t afraid to say something.” CCEG’s Facebook group has around 1,400 followers and posts regular updates about community news and council meetings.
Rep. John King says Clark has his own criminal record that people deserve to know about. Clark is a registered sex offender. According to records, Clark committed sexual battery in Harnett, North Carolina. The victim was 14 years old.
“People need to know about him. As he goes around and talks about ethics they need to know about him because their children may be around,” said Rep. John King.
CN2 News reached out to Clark who didn’t directly comment on his record, but said this in an e-mail: “Keep in mind that all of us on the CCEG board do what we do because we have ourselves either been victims of a corrupt system or have witnessed others being victims of corruption.”
CCEG’s Attorney, Desa Ballard, said this in a statement: “Mr. Clarke has a conviction for a misdemeanor, and would not be barred from public office as Mr. King is. Mr. Clarke he has chosen to advocate for the City by trying to educate the public about the problems in the City government.”
Ballard also condemned the sex offender registry, calling it flawed and an area in which the government has failed its citizens.
“Research has shown that the registry was borne based on the flawed believe that sex offenders have a higher rate of reoffending than do persons who have committed other crimes which is not borne out by research. The existence of the registries do more harm than good.”
“We all live in glass houses, and if you throw a rock at someone’s house, make sure that you can withstand that same rock man thrown at you,” said Rep. John King, adding his brother is eligible to run for office after being pardoned.
Jeremy Clark still serves on the CCEG board.
