John E. Courson (born November 21, 1944) is a former American politician. He served as a Republican member of the South Carolina Senate, representing the 20th District from 1985 to 2018. He resigned after pleading guilty to a common law misconduct charge in office.[2]
John E. Courson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| President pro tempore of the South Carolina Senate[1] | |
| In office March 13, 2012 – June 4, 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Glenn F. McConnell |
| Succeeded by | Yancey McGill |
| Member of the South Carolina Senate from the 20th district | |
| In office December 15, 1985 – June 4, 2018 | |
| Succeeded by | Dick Harpootlian |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 21, 1944 Columbia, South Carolina |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Exum |
Early life and education edit
John Courson was born on November 21, 1944, and graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1968.
Career edit
He has served as a Republican state senator for South Carolina from 1985 to 2018. In 1998, he ran for Comptroller General of South Carolina, but lost to Jim Lander.[3]
He was elected President Pro Tempore of the South Carolina Senate on March 13, 2012,[4] but resigned this office on June 4, 2014, to avoid becoming Lieutenant Governor, a weak position that needed to be filled for six months before a new Lieutenant Governor was elected in 2014.[5]
Resignation edit
In March 2017, during the South Carolina Statehouse corruption investigation, Courson was indicted on ethics charges for mishandling campaign funds and subsequently suspended from office.[6] He resigned June 4, 2018, after pleading guilty to such charges.[2]
Personal life edit
He is married to Elizabeth Poinsett Exum, and they have three children: James Poinsett, Elizabeth Boykin, and Harris Russell. He is Episcopalian.
References edit
- ^ "South Carolina Legislature Online - Member Biography".
- ^ a b "Richland Sen. John Courson Enters Guilty Plea, Resigns from Office". WLTX. June 4, 2018.
- ^ Strope, Leigh (1998-11-05). "Candidates edgy waiting on tally". The Charlotte Observer. p. 68. Retrieved 2022-07-01 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Smith, G. N. (March 13, 2012). "Columbia senator is Senate's new top dog". The State. Archived from the original on 2019-01-23.
- ^ "COLUMBIA, SC: Courson resigns SC Senate leadership post in spat with Lt. Gov. McConnell (Update) | the Buzz | the State". Archived from the original on 2014-07-27. Retrieved 2014-07-26.
- ^ Monk, John (March 16, 2017). "SC state Sen. Courson indicted on misconduct allegations, vows to fight the charges". The State. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
External links edit
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Project Vote Smart - Senator John E. Courson (SC) [permanent dead link] profile
- Follow the Money - John E. Courson
- Gaither, Tanita; Holland, Ashleigh (2018-06-04). "Suspended SC Sen. Courson enters guilty plea, resigns from office". www.wistv.com. Retrieved 2023-09-10.
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