Councilman enters guilty plea in bribery case

By Meg Kinnard

The Associated Press

COLUMBIA - A former Orangeburg County Council chairman suspected of taking $50,000 in bribes from an undercover FBI agent in exchange for supporting the sale of a local hospital pleaded guilty Tuesday.

John H. Rickenbacker, 55, was indicted in June after authorities said he accepted the bribes from an agent posing as a consultant for a company interested in buying the hospital. He pleaded guilty to one count each of bribery and extortion.

Rickenbacker told the agent he would work to get the council's support on the sale of the Regional Medical Center of Orangeburg and Calhoun counties and provided confidential financial information, Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston Holliday said.

Rickenbacker, suspended from office by Gov. Mark Sanford after his indictment, resigned in a letter Monday, Sanford's spokesman Joel Sawyer said.

Rickenbacker's attorney, I.S. Leevy Johnson, said neither he nor his client wanted to speak to a reporter after the hearing.

Rickenbacker faces up to 30 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. U.S. District Judge Margaret B. Seymour will sentence him later.

Holliday said Rickenbacker first met with a consultant interested in buying the hospital in November 2005.

In exchange for $5,000 a month, Rickenbacker said he would provide the council's confidential review of the hospital's financial condition, expected to take three to four months to complete, Holliday said.

Rickenbacker also eventually told investigators no second council member had been involved, Holliday said.