Sic Willie On T-Rav June 20, 2007
Posted by fitsnews in SC Politics.trackback
FITSNEWS FOUNDING EDITOR WEIGHS IN ON HIS FRIEND, FORMER CLIENT THOMAS RAVENEL
FITSNews – June 20, 2007 – Within minutes of the story breaking yesterday that State Treasurer Thomas Ravenel had been indicted on federal drug charges, our phones and e-mails started lighting up like the crack man’s pager … er, wait … on second thought, let’s not use that analogy. The point is we were literally bombarded with all sorts of stuff – jokes, pictures, nastygrams, even a photoshopped picture of Ravenel standing beside Tyrone Biggums, the infamous crackhead from the David Chappelle Show. “Separated At Birth?” the photo’s sender asked in the caption.
Our job is to make jokes about people involved in the political process. It doesn’t pay all that good, but what can we say – we’ve always had a knack for drawing the short straw in life. Not to mention riding the short bus. Of course, our founding editor Sic Willie was one of Ravenel’s closest advisors during the 2006 Treasurer’s race and remains one of his closest friends, which makes all of this extraordinarily difficult ground for us to navigate.
For today, we figured the best thing to do would be to turn it over to Sic Willie and let him speak for himself as opposed to forcing everybody to wade through his multiple personality disorder:
I can’t speak for anybody else, but in all the time I spent working alongside Thomas Ravenel and hanging out with him outside the work environment, I never saw anything even resembling the sort of behavior he’s been accused of. Thomas has always been a loyal and trusted friend to me and a true believer in the ideas I am passionate about, and to see him going through this just kills me. I can only imagine what it’s like for him, but he has my full support in the days and weeks to come. Friends don’t bail on friends, and I’m not going to bail on Thomas.
During my time in the governor’s office I also had the privilege of working with Chief Robert Stewart over at SLED, and I consider U.S. Attorney Reggie Lloyd a friend, too. I talked with Reggie briefly last night, as a matter of fact, and while we didn’t discuss this matter in any great detail, like Chief Stewart he is someone who has always discharged his duties with skill, integrity and professionalism. Simply put these are not people who play fast and loose with the truth, and the allegations that have been made against Thomas are chillingly serious.
It goes without saying that the press and the blogs are going to have a field day with this – and understandably so. Oddly enough, many of the e-mails and phone messages we’ve received were from people expressing surprise that FITSNews even covered the breaking news of the indictment yesterday given my relationship with Thomas, but that’s part of our job and to pretend nothing was going on in South Carolina politics yesterday would have been ridiculous.
By the way, if you missed former State Treasurer Grady Patterson’s comments yesterday, take a chance to read them in this morning’s article in The State paper. What a class act. While the Chairman of the State Democratic Party was spouting typical attack rhetoric, Patterson showed true statesmanship in the way he responded.
FITSNews For Now 
Thank you Will, for showing class in this post, I just gained a lot of respect for you for not bailing out on a friend. As a Democrat, I was glad to see Tommy Moore and Grady Patterson both responded in a classy way, however, I was embarrassed by our newly elected Chairperson. As I have said before, her husband ruined the SCDP in the 1980’s to smooth the way for the GOP, and now, once we begin to make a slight gain, she is going to ruin us now.
To the Fowlers:
That might work in Howard Deanland, but we’re in South Carolina where a little grace, charm, and kindness go a long way.
Will – great post and great class you’ve shown. Not to mention true journalistic ethics in a time where none seem to exist anymore. I’ve been thinking about you during all of this because I know of your friendship with Thomas and I’m sure it’s been a tough time for you as well. Hang in there and keep up the good fight.
In SC GRACE, charm and kindness go a long way?
What bullshit.
SC politics has NONE of that thanks to the SC GOP. Yeah…what Grady Patterson said was GREAT and what did the SC GOP do to him last fall?
Replaced him with a criminal. They also insulted the hell out of Grady Patterson throughout the election…insulted his grandchildren, his age, his dedication to our state but oh sure….we should all just sit quietly aside with a little kindness while some loser makes our state look even more like a joke than it already does?
Please.
Ravenel is going down. He is an embarassment to our state. The quicker the Feds get it over with…the better.
Kind of on the other end of the stick this time aren’t you Will. So when someone attacks your friend its “typical attack rhetoric,” but when you attack everyone else, its harmless. If you’re going to continue this line of business Will you are going to have to learn to eat where you shit.
But anyway, thanks for the proof flavored pudding. Ummmmm hypocrisy! ……..delicious.
any idea who ratted on him?
Dear “Yes,”
There’s nothing “typical” about our attack rhetoric. Yours maybe, but ours is anything but.
Clearly the notion of sticking up for a friend is a foreign concept to you.
-FITSNews
I think we need to drop the whole T-rav scoop and focus on the naked couple who landed on Laurel Street this morning.
i think the naked couple landed @ T-Rav’s lawyers office…(no kidding here). That lawyer is gonna have a day to remember.
Politics Rocks,
I think if they had been follwoing for 2 years, it was someone who tipped them off a while back…scorned woman, former friend, who knows?
No, Will, to the contrary I do stick up for my friends. But unlike you I don’t have a blog known for taking cheap shots at public figures. I’m sure the people you target have friends too. Only now you know how they must feel. That being said, I’m an avid reader of this blog and I wouldn’t be if you weren’t such an ass. So…..hypocrit or not, I dig the discourse your posts invoke and I tell my friends to tune in, they just don’t happen to be cokeheads.
I think that if Will were into cheap shots at politicians then Thad Viers would be peppered full of holes by now.
How come the coke supplier is behind bars and Ravenel is still walking around free?
Tammy,
The GOP didn’t elect T-Rav the people did. He used the party as a vehicle to get elected. He talked the talk, but it looks like things were a little different behind the scenes.
Rumor has it that campaigns for Treasurer had info that he was a major cokehead, but choose not to use it. That’s class. That’s also stupid. Since it is now apparently true.
Go back supporting Obama, Hillary or any of the other fools. The SCGOP is still the best in this state.
“…..in all the time I spent working alongside Thomas Ravenel and hanging out with him outside the work environment, I never saw anything even resembling the sort of behavior he’s been accused of.”
Yeah, right….
[…] Sic Willie On T-Rav [image] FITSNEWS FOUNDING EDITOR WEIGHS IN ON HIS FRIEND, FORMER CLIENT THOMAS RAVENEL FITSNews – June 20, 2007 – […] […]
Will, I totally understand you not turning your back on your friend regardless of his guilt or innocence. I can respect that in you. As far as this charge goes, I cannot fathom why this investigation took 2 years. I am not by any means saying he isn’t guilty, I do not know the man personally. What I am saying is that someone somewhere rolled on him so why did it take 2 years to charge our STATE TREASURER. Is it possible that someone sat on this info while trying to get him to play their political games? Is it possible that when he would not play they used this info to get rid of him? Why else did an investigation of this magnitude take 2 years? I did hear “rumor” that he wanted to return 1.6 million / billion(not suere which) dollars in unspent tax dollars to the tax payers this year and met heavy resistance from Gov. Sanfords office… amoung others???? Not defending the man, he’s a bit on the arogant side for my liking… but I smell a rat!
Tammy,
Re: The SCGOP is still the best in this state.” I guess it depends on how you quantify “best,” The GOP has elected
its candidates to six constitutional offices since 2002. One
pled guilty to taking bribes for allowing illegal cockfights and was sentenced to prison, and now another one is charged with distributing cocaine. That’s one in three and that’s the “best” we can do? I will grant you this: “In the land of the blind, the eyeds are king.”
mea culpa–my previous comments should be addressed to ‘butthead surfer,” sorry Tammy.
“The SCGOP is still the best in this state.”
I think that remains to be seen. But coming from a butthead surfer…I’m sure you’re right. 🙂
Also, the people only elected Ravenel because the GOP endorsed him.
But, at least you can admit to being so easily used by a cokehead. That’s a start in the right direction for your party. I’ll gladly take my Hillary, Obama and the “other fools” if all you and yours can offer up is a Thomas Ravenel.
McJunkin makes the best point yet…why is the black guy in jail and Ravenel’s not?
And Will, I do respect your honesty on the issue. I imagine it’s hard to see a friend go down in such a matter. I have nothing personal against Ravenel. I feel for him and I don’t understand how someone with so much could throw it all away on something so trivial. It’s a sad situation all around, but my concern lies in the State of SC. It’s the last thing we need.
Renee,
you’re not smelling anything. You’re dealing with the FEDS. Not some backwards ass SC government office who is out to screw over your 2nd cousin’s brother’s ex girlfriend.
They don’t play around. It didn’t take TWO years to charge our state treasurer. He hasn’t been state treasurer for two years. I would imagine they’ve been watching him for a long time and I feel safe in saying that David Copperfield didn’t warn them to watch out for cocaine.
Are South Carolinians so inept that they really think the Feds are sitting on info in an effort to wreck to the SCGOP?
These paranoid freaks need to get a grip. Our problems are so much worse than I ever imagined.
To “been there done that,” thank you for completely proving my point.
Why did Ravenel not hire a criminal attorney?? He hired the same guy- Joel Collins- that represented one of the Home Gold guys that is now going to prison. So, I guess if I committ murder, I should hire a real estate closing attorney. I think not!!!!
Whatever, Collins has quite a lot of experience in federal court and criminal defense experience, also since he was formerly a U.S. federal prosecutor I think he may be just an ‘incy’ bit better than the average “real estate” attorney.
Whatever – Collins is a former federal prosecutor
i beleive my first call would have been to Bart Daniel and if he didn’t pick up Pete Strom…hell hire ’em both (both former US attorneys)..no knock on Collins, but i don’t think he does criminal stuff, day to day anymore.
I find it hard to believe that Sic Willie had no knowledge or idea of this kind of activity. The two are known to “hang out” at various Columbia watering holes. I give Willie credit for sticking by a friend but don’t sully whatever reputation you have by insisting in his innocence.
Several heavy hitters that I would hire before Collins:
Gedney Howe
Jack Swerling
Dick Harpootlian
Bart Daniels (former US Atty)
Pete Strom (Former US Atty)
Jim Griffin
Andy Savage
Rauch Wise
Rene Josey (former US Atty)
..but you can’t hide.
If Ravenel is convicted of distribution of cocaine, he can serve as much as 20 years in prison. I would say that it is more likely that he will cut a “plea deal” to serve a short amount of time behind bars along with probation.
If Ravenel cuts a “plea deal”, in other words, “pleads guilty” then the Feds should insist that he roll over on a “Bigger Fish” If he does not roll over, then he should do some serious jail time with the rest of the “Cocaine Distributors”.
“Examination of runway 06 by the FAA after the accident revealed the airplane traveled 819 feet on the take off roll before encountering the dirt section of the runway. Two skid marks were present in the dirt section of the runway. The left skid mark was was measured 417 feet long and the right skid mark was measured 388 feet long.. The width of the Mooney M-20 E landing gear is 9 feet and three quarters of an inch long. The distance between the left and right main landing gear is skid marks are 9 feet and three quarters of an inch. Ten feet past the left skid mark appeared to be a tail strike mark on a stone with a bluish color. The bottom of the accident airplane is blue in color”.
http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/GenPDF.asp?id=ATL06L…