We can add Cocaine trafficking to the list of GOP sins:
State Treasurer Thomas Ravenel was indicted on federal drug charges Tuesday and was suspended from office by Gov. Mark Sanford.
Ravenel, 44, and Michael L. Miller of Mount Pleasant are charged with one count each of conspiracy to possess and intent to distribute cocaine.
Miller already is in state custody on charges of trafficking cocaine. Ravenel is scheduled to appear July 9 in federal court in Columbia for arraignment, U.S. Attorney Reggie Lloyd said.
Ravenel, a Republican, was elected treasurer in November. The charge filed Tuesday said he has “knowingly, intentionally and unlawfully possess(ed) with intent to distribute” cocaine since at least late 2005.
My absolute favorite line from the story is the following:
The charges come the day after Ravenel attended a dinner at an upscale Columbia restaurant. There, he seemed “not to have a care in the world,” said former state Revenue Department director Burnie Maybank, who hosted the dinner at Saluda’s in Five Points. “It’s just a shocker.”
Imagine that- not a care in the world:
rachel
Yah! Warn a person when you post a picture like that, will you?
raff
Was that an upscale “Columbia” restaurant, or “Columbian” restaurant?
DougJ
I’m looking at this guy and I’m trying to find out the new order of things, and what works for women and what doesn’t. Does this guy have some sort of thing going for him that I should notice?
Do you think there’s a sex appeal for this guy, this sort of mature, older man, you know? He looks sort of seasoned and in charge of himself. What is this appeal? Because I keep hearing star quality.
Can you smell the English leather on this guy, the Aqua Velva, the sort of mature man’s shaving cream, or whatever, you know, after he shaved? Do you smell that sort of — a little bit of cigar smoke?
Focus On Your Own Damn Family!
I’m reminded of Nick Nolte in Down and Out in Beverly Hills.
semper fubar
There, he seemed “not to have a care in the world,”
“Cocaine’s a hell of a drug”
— Rick James
Tsulagi
As with Rush, obviously this is a blatant case of prosecutorial activism at the behest of Democratic evildoers. Coupled with their subliminal manipulation of Rudy to choose a spoiled rich guy using cocaine (no, not Bush this time) as a state campaign chairman to embarrass our future cross dressing CIC.
Hitlery will stop at nothing in her quest to dominate Republican men. Known truth.
Dreggas
The kicker is the guy was the head of Rudy’s campaign.
Jake
Where’s the beef (cake)?
Come on. I know there’s a male prostitute in this somewhere.
They got Bush already. He nominated the USA on the case. (Who also is named Reggie.)
And some RedState twat will start with the “You can’t trust Those People,” crap in five…four…three…
Tax Analyst
Yes, that was my immediate reaction, too…”What’s Nick Nolte got to do with this guy?” A dead-ringer for Nolte’s character in “Down & Out…”
mrmobi
Man! Nick Nolte is using him some drugs!
EmanG
Here’s a fun fact: Seems that it wasn’t just cocaine it was Rock Cocaine! You know, the form that comes with incredibly stiff mandatory sentences. Interesting that the majority of news reports seem to miss this little tidbit. Perhaps in the interest of softening the sentencing blow? (pun intended)
Rome Again
Apparently he’s not the only one who thinks this is okay if he has a line of recipients to give it to, and I understand those recipients were other politically involved Republicans.
Republicans: always looking out for everyone’s values but their own.
Rome Again
Yes, they do blow!
Jake
Tommy crack ‘caine and he don’t care…
Everything is fine
Everything is FINE! It’s fine, really, it’s fine. I’m not kidding…it’s fine. No, I’m not joking… everthing is fine. really….
Don’t pay attention to the campaign finance violations, or the suspended treasurer indicted for cocaine distribution or emails indicating ethics violations, or the State Budget and Control Board in disarray, or employee’s bolting out of the Treasury Agency, or The DOT, or The SBCB. Don’t pay attention to the suspended Treasurer that is in Rehab, everything is fine at the Treasury Dept. LISTEN TO ME! LISTEN! EVERYTHING IS FINE!
You can run
..but you can’t hide.
If Ravenel is convicted of distribution of cocaine, he can serve as much as 20 years in prison. I would say that it is more likely that he will cut a “plea deal” to serve a short amount of time behind bars along with probation.
If Ravenel cuts a “plea deal”, in other words, “pleads guilty” then the Feds should insist that he roll over on a “Bigger Fish” If he does not roll over, then he should do some serious jail time with the rest of the “Cocaine Distributors”.