State officials have denied multiple requests for investigative files on former House Speaker Bobby Harrell.

The Nerve, the online newsletter of the watchdog SC Policy Council, requested release of state grand jury findings into the legislative corruption case.

The investigation led to Harrell’s ouster as a legislator. At the time, he was one of the most powerful lawmakers in the state.

Special prosecutor David Pascoe who handled the case has said he “firmly believes that the greatest weapon against corruption and incompetence in government is transparency.”

Yet the State Law Enforcement Division, which assisted Pascoe, declined open-records requests to release its investigative files.

The criminal investigation led the state grand jury investigation into other lawmakers including Rep. Rick Quinn of Lexington and Sen. John Courson, who represented Irmo.

Attorney Jay Bender, who has represented the Lexington County Chronicle and the SC Press Association in Freedom of Information Act reguests, said he is working on an agreement for release of the findings.

The Chronicle has asked county legislative delegation members for comment on SLED’s reluctance to release the findings to the public.

Harrell, a Charleston County Republican, resigned and was sentenced to 3 years’ probation after pleading guilty to 6 misdemeanor counts of using campaign donations for personal use related to his private airplane.

The Policy Council filed a complaint against Harrell with the S.C. Attorney General’s Office including:

• His dealings with the Board of Pharmacy on matters involving his pharmaceutical business;

• Appointment of his brother John Harrell to the state Judicial Merit Selection Commission, which nominates judicial candidates to the legislature.

• Record keeping of campaign expenditures and reimbursements.

Policy Council President Ashley Landess raised concerns about Harrell’s connection to the Palmetto Leadership Council, a political action committee.

SLED spokesman Thom Berry said he discussed this latest request under the FoIA with the “appropriate South Carolina State Grand Jury prosecutorial authority.”

Berry confirmed this was Pascoe and said SLED decided the Harrell records were “confidential State Grand Jury records that are not public records.”

A state Grand Jury report was publicly released earlier by Circuit Judge Clifton Newman, the presiding judge of the state grand jury.

Pascoe did not return phone calls for comment on the Harrell file.

Brundrett is the news editor of The Nerve. Contact him at 803-254-4411 or rick@thenerve.org .