THURSDAY'S EDITORIAL

THE ISSUE: Charges against agriculture commissioner

OUR OPINION: Charles Sharpe has pleaded not guilty; resignation not an obligation

Commissioner deserves his day in court

By T&D Staff

Lawmakers and state officials across the board expressed shock at the recent arrest of Commissioner of Agriculture Charles Sharpe. We echo their surprise even in pointing out that the veteran politician from Wagener has entered a plea of not guilty. We expect a vigorous defense will be mounted by his attorney, former Rep. John Felder of St. Matthews.

Shocking, too, are the types of charges leveled against Sharpe. He is accused of federal crimes involved with taking payoffs to protect a cockfighting ring. The blood sport involving roosters, long a part of South Carolina lore, is illegal.

A federal grand jury indicted Sharpe on charges including extortion and money laundering. Sharpe is accused of accepting at least $20,000 from an organization involved in breeding and raising birds for cockfighting in exchange for helping the group avoid legal trouble.

The allegations as presented by U.S. Attorney J. Strom Thurmond Jr. are that the South Carolina Gamefowl Management Association paid Sharpe to escort a law enforcement officer to their cockfighting building in Aiken County that was called "The Testing Facility." The group wanted to persuade the officer that the activities were legal.

Thurmond said Sharpe lied to the officer and said the fighting, which attracted spectators from multiple states, was legal because it was only used to test the "bloodline" and hardiness of the birds.

Sharpe didn't know the officer was working undercover for the FBI and recorded the conversation, according to the indictment.

The indictment also said Sharpe attempted to persuade the candidate for Aiken County sheriff that the bird operation passed legal muster.

"He was alleging that he had an opinion from the South Carolina attorney general's office," Thurmond said. The opinion was fake.

The candidate for sheriff, Michael Hunt, who was elected last year, also worked undercover for federal investigators.

The 24-page indictment said Sharpe took the payoffs in 2002 and 2003 while he was a state lawmaker and after he was elected to statewide office.

According to the state Constitution, Gov. Mark Sanford has suspended Sharpe from office until the case is resolved.

Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States, is among those calling for more. Saying Sharpe should resign his position, he stated: "In exchange for thousands of dollars, he has allegedly used his connections and his stature not only to enrich himself, but also to provide protection for an organized criminal network of cockfighters. Commissioner Sharpe should resign from office effective immediately."

We don't agree. As much as the commissioner could justify departing the post on the basis of his personal problems not diverting attention from the state's agricultural issue and priorities, to resign would be an unofficial admission of guilt.

Sharpe has pleaded not guilty. He deserves the opportunity to clear his name. As serious as it looks, we urge that Sharpe not be unofficially convicted before he and counsel have their day in court.

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