House Panel Votes to Appoint Wilkins to Oversee Solicitor Gipson Impeachment Inquiry

The House Judiciary Constitutional Laws Subcommittee met at the Blatt Building, room 516, and voted Feb. 17 to appoint former solicitor Walt Wilkins to oversee an impeachment inquiry into Fifth Circuit Solicitor Byron/Bryon Gipson. The hearing, set for 9 a.m. by WPDE reporting, followed a resolution filed before the legislative session by Representatives Jordan Pace and Robby Robbins that alleges “serious misconduct in office.”

The resolution cites specific case-level claims tied to the Fifth Circuit office. It alleges the early release in 2023 of Jeroid Price, who was serving a 35-year sentence for the 2002 murder of Carl Smalls Jr., and claims Price’s sentence was reduced by 16 years or more and that Smalls’ family was not notified. The resolution also cites fallout from the May 2025 killing of Logan Federico by Alexander Dickey; U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace’s campaign materials assert Dickey had “39 arrests and 25 felonies” and link prosecutorial failures and incomplete record-keeping to Federico’s death.

Lawmakers and outside solicitors sparred over whether the House has constitutional authority to pursue impeachment of a circuit solicitor. Lowcountry solicitor Duffie Stone testified to the subcommittee that “It is unconstitutional for the House to impeach a solicitor because the position is not one that is elected statewide,” adding that “Impeachment is unprecedented at this level, and it’s never been done because you don’t have the authority to do it… I don’t know what an inquiry is, but as far as impeachment is concerned, it’s unconstitutional.” Rep. Jordan Pace countered that Article 15 of the South Carolina Constitution authorizes impeachment for dereliction of duty, saying, “Basically, the patience has run out for somebody else to do something. We as a legislature are that last line of defense, last line of hope to bring some accountability.” Rep. Spencer Wetmore pressed the panel on cost and authority: “So what you’re asking me to do is to tell my constituents that we spent taxpayer dollars on an inquiry. If you could help me understand our legislative authority to do that, that would help me a lot.”

Subcommittee members approved the appointment of Walt Wilkins to oversee any inquiry, but reporting makes clear the full House has not voted to impeach. WIS and Foxcarolina reported the Wilkins appointment as the next procedural step; WPDE and WOLO noted the hearing was to determine whether an inquiry should proceed. The action places oversight into the hands of a former solicitor while constitutional questions remain unresolved.

Solicitor Byron (spelled in some reports as Bryon) Gipson issued written statements emphasizing prosecutorial independence and cooperation with the process. WIS published a block quote in which Gipson wrote, “I have dedicated my professional life to the pursuit of justice and to protecting the communities I serve. … I will continue to cooperate fully with this inquiry.” WIS also reported Gipson warned the inquiry would “weaken” prosecutorial independence. Meanwhile, Attorney General Alan Wilson sent a letter at the end of September urging Gipson’s office to seek the death penalty for Alexander Dickey by Oct. 10 and later appointed a senior attorney from the AG’s office to assist after Gipson declined to decide immediately, and Nancy Mace’s campaign called for Gipson’s removal, saying, “Logan Federico should be alive today. Her murder was entirely preventable.”

The subcommittee’s Feb. 17 vote to install Wilkins advances the procedural phase of the matter, but questions about Article 15 authority and the scope of impeachment for a circuit solicitor remain central as the House considers whether to move beyond inquiry.