State Rep. Jim Merrill (R-SC): Today’s Public Official Misfit 

Jimmy is the former Political Director of the South Carolina Republican Party (ca. 1992 to 1998). Jimmy duped the voters into electing him to the South Carolina State House of Representatives in 2001 where he remained until 2016.

It should be noted that Jimmy was an adviser to President-elect Donald “Trumporleone” Trump.

Republican South Carolina state Rep. Jim Merrill, an adviser to President-elect Donald Trump, was charged with 30 counts of ethics violations and misconduct in office.

On December 14, 2016, Jimmy was charged with 30 counts of ethics violations and misconduct in office. The charges included 28 counts of official misconduct and two counts of violating state ethics laws.

The grand jury indictments assert that Jimmy’s company, Geechie Communications, took hundreds of thousands of dollars from entities such as the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, the South Carolina Manufacturer's Alliance and the South Carolina Association of Realtors in exchange for favorability in the State House as far back as 2002 (one year after he was elected)

One of the charges claims Jimmy’s company received $391,174.95 from the South Carolina Realtors group and failed to report it. Another charge states that his company accepted $276,561.03 from the House Republican Caucus and more than $84,021.61 from the Palmetto Leadership Council, a political-action committee with ties to former South Carolina Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell.

All that remains now is to see how long it takes for Jimmy to cop a plea to the charges lodged against him.

As we speak (ca. December 20, 2016), Jimmy has been forced to resign from the House. It is rumored that he is now seeking a job as a greeter at the Walmart at 1231 Folly Road in Charleston, South Carolina.