| Official will be tried on charges AIKEN - Suspended South Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Charles Sharpe faces a Jan. 24 trial date on charges of extortion, money laundering and lying to investigators about an Aiken County cockfighting arena about a dozen miles from his Wagener home. U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie set the trial date Friday and also ordered the federal jury be drawn from a statewide pool of prospects. Federal prosecutors told the judge their case will rely heavily on tape recordings from the undercover investigation that led to Mr. Sharpe's indictment, a two-year inquiry that included sleuthing by Aiken County Sheriff Mike Hunt. Mr. Sharpe, a veteran Aiken County politician who served as chairman of the state House Agriculture Committee before being elected agriculture commissioner in 2002, is accused of accepting at least $20,000 from the South Carolina Gamefowl Management Association in return for helping the group stay out of legal trouble. A federal indictment said Mr. Sharpe met with Sheriff Hunt and an unnamed law enforcement official on separate occasions in an attempt to convince them the Carolina Club didn't violate South Carolina's prohibitions against cockfighting, a misdemeanor offense. The Republican official also is accused of lying about the Aiken County cockfighting arena, known as the Carolina Club, to an undercover officer working on the joint FBI-South Carolina Law Enforcement Division undercover investigation. However, attorneys for Mr. Sharpe, who is pleading innocent, said the trial will turn on the question of whether their client extorted money from the cockfighters in violation of federal law or whether he merely lobbied on their behalf after taking legal campaign contributions from them. "Even if he did all he's accused of, did he violate the public trust? Because those aren't matters under his authority," Columbia defense attorney Jim Griffin said. "He's not in charge of enforcing laws regarding cockfighting. ... Charles Sharpe's opinion on the cockfighting law doesn't matter because he doesn't have authority over the enforcement of the laws against cockfighting." Mr. Sharpe, whose wife is Aiken County Treasurer Linda Sharpe, was arrested July 29, then arraigned and released on $100,000 bond the same day. A former Democrat, he served in the South Carolina Legislature from 1985 until 2002. Two weeks ago, Gov. Mark Sanford appointed an interim commissioner to run the Agriculture Department while Mr. Sharpe faces trial. A felony conviction would force him from office. Associated Press reports were used in this article.
Reach Jim Nesbitt at (803) 648-1395, ext. 111 or jim.nesbitt@augustachronicle.com.
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