South Carolina House Speaker Bobby Harrell (R) has suspended himself from office, The Associated Press reported Thursday, the day after he was indicted on multiple charges of misusing campaign funds and other misconduct.
“I am proactively taking this step because I believe it is the right decision for the South Carolina House of Representatives, its members and the people we represent,” Harrell wrote in a letter, in which he asked Rep. Jay Lucas (R), the speaker pro tempore, to serve as acting speaker.
Harrell was indicted Wednesday on nine charges, according to the AP. The indictment alleges that the lawmaker used campaign funds to reimburse himself for airplane flights that never occurred, among other misconduct. In total, Harrell allegedly paid himself $294,000 from his campaign fund, according to WLTX in Columbia. He has asserted his innocence.
One of the charges carries a 10-year maximum jail sentence, according to the news agency, and South Carolina House rules stipulate that any member facing two or more years in jail must be suspended.
Gov. Nikki Haley (R) has said that Harrell should resign, WLTX reported.
