{"id":2259437,"date":"2024-06-04T12:04:01","date_gmt":"2024-06-04T16:04:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/county-clerk-who-worked-alex-murdaugh-case-facing-76-ethics-violations\/"},"modified":"2024-06-04T12:06:58","modified_gmt":"2024-06-04T16:06:58","slug":"county-clerk-who-worked-alex-murdaugh-case-facing-76-ethics-violations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/county-clerk-who-worked-alex-murdaugh-case-facing-76-ethics-violations\/","title":{"rendered":"County Clerk Involved in Alex Murdaugh Case Charged with 76 Ethics Violations"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcounty-clerk-who-worked-alex-murdaugh-case-facing-76-ethics-violations%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2259437&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Former South Carolina County Clerk,\u200c Rebecca \u201cBecky\u201d Hill, who handled the Alex Murdaugh\u200c murder trial, is facing 76 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/inspector-general-closes-ethics-probe-into-elaine-chao-angering-dems\/\" title=\"Inspector General Closes Ethics Probe Into Elaine Chao, Angering Dems\">ethics violations<\/a>, including misusing funds for personal gain. Hill&#8217;s alleged unethical conduct involved promoting her book on\u2062 the trial, financial discrepancies, and possible jury tampering. The case is \u200dset for a hearing in December, with potential fines and legal consequences\u200d looming.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p>A former county clerk in South Carolina who worked on the Alex Murdaugh murder trial is facing 76 counts of ethics violations, many pertaining to that trial.<\/p>\n<p>Rebecca \u201cBecky\u201d Hill, who resigned in March, faces the ethics charges in part for spending thousands of county dollars on bonuses, meals, and gifts, the Associated Press <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/alex-murdaugh-becky-hill-ethics-complaint-1d9acf592ae759f851059fbd11e28deb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reported<\/a>. Hill was the Colleton County Clerk of Court when Murdaugh was convicted of killing his wife, Maggie, and youngest son, Paul.<\/p>\n<p>In a 25-page complaint obtained by the AP, Hill is accused of letting a photo of Murdaugh sitting in a holding cell be taken so that she could use it to promote her book on the trial. She\u2019s also accused of using county money to give herself bonuses, and buy dozens of lunches for her staff, prosecutors, and even a vendor.<\/p>\n<p>She also made an arrangement with a documentary maker to use the county courtroom in exchange for promoting her book, the AP reported. She later admitted that passages of the book were plagiarized.<\/p>\n<p>A hearing will be held on the ethics violations in December, the AP reported, unless Hill and her attorneys settle the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/shock-kyle-rittenhouse-takes-stand-in-his-own-defense\/\" title=\"SHOCK: Kyle Rittenhouse Takes Stand in His Own Defense\">case earlier<\/a>. Hill may have to reimburse the county for unethical transactions and may have to pay additional fines as well. If the commission believes she broke any laws through her actions, she may be referred to prosecutors.<\/p>\n<p>The State Law Enforcement Division told the outlet that an investigation into whether Hill tampered with the Murdaugh jury is still underway. Murdaugh\u2019s attorneys attempted to use claims of tampering to get him a new trial, but the request <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/alex-murdaugh-loses-bid-for-new-trial-despite-juror-saying-county-clerk-influenced-verdict\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">was denied<\/a> in January.<\/p>\n<p>South Carolina Judge Jean Toal denied Murdaugh\u2019s bid for a new trial while condemning Hill in her remarks about her ruling, CNN <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2024\/01\/29\/us\/judge-jean-toal-murdaugh-jury-tampering-clerk-rebecca-hill\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reported<\/a>. Toal said Hill was \u201cattracted by the siren call of celebrity,\u201d and that she \u201cwanted to write a book about the trial and expressed that as early as November 2022, long before the trial began.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hill has denied the allegations against her, but Toal determined that Hill had told another clerk and others of \u201cher desire for a guilty verdict because it would sell books.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-describedby=\"sk-tooltip-9096\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1717600807642000&#038;usg=AOvVaw0p0QhZmpsXnlsBawMxYkBF\">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe made comments about Murdaugh\u2019s demeanor as he testified and she made some of those comments before he testified to at least one and maybe more jurors,\u201d Toal said, according to CNN. \u201cDid clerk of court Hill\u2019s comments have any impact on the verdict of the jury? I find that the answer to this question is no.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Toal added that the jurors determined Murdaugh to be guilty \u201cwithout fear or favor,\u201d but that Hill \u201callowed public attention of the moment to overcome her duty.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI simply do not believe that the authority of our South Carolina Supreme Court requires a new trial in a very lengthy trial such as this on the strength of some fleeting and foolish comments by a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/court-clerk-accused-of-influencing-alex-murdaugh-jury-resigns\/\" title=\"Court Clerk Resigns Amid Accusations of Jury Tampering in Alex Murdaugh Case\">publicity-influenced clerk<\/a> of courts,\u201d Toal said, according to CNN.<\/p>\n<p>Toal further explained that she had personally interviewed each juror and that 11 of them said that they either hadn\u2019t heard any comments from Hill or, of those who had, that those comments did not affect their judgment. The 12<sup>th<\/sup> juror, according to Toal, was \u201cambivalent\u201d during testimony and only said she felt pressure from other jurors.<\/p>\n<p>That juror, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2024\/01\/29\/1227691743\/alex-murdaugh-juror-says-clerk-made-him-seem-guilty-murder-appeal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">according to NPR<\/a>, testified that Hill made comments that indicated that Hill thought Murdaugh was guilty. Brian Entin, senior national correspondent for NewsNation, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/brianentin\/status\/1751992831109947720?s=12&#038;t=zEuer7j4Ff8TVIcpiUO1KA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">posted on X<\/a> during the hearing that the juror \u201csaid her verdict WAS influenced by the clerk of court.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>CBS <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/alex-murdaugh-bid-to-prove-jury-tampering-murder-conviction\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reported<\/a> that the juror, identified only as Juror Z, answered \u201cYes ma\u2019am,\u201d when the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/florida-teacher-arrested-for-allegedly-spraying-disinfectant-at-students-who-didnt-wear-masks-properly-faces-felony-child-abuse-charges\/\" title=\"Florida teacher arrested for allegedly spraying disinfectant at students who didn't wear masks properly, faces felony child abuse charges\">judge asked<\/a> if Hill\u2019s comments affected her vote. The juror later told the judge that she stood by an earlier sworn affidavit that said the other jurors influenced her to vote guilty more than Hill\u2019s comments.<\/p>\n<p>In his closing arguments, Murdaugh attorney Jim Griffin cited case law while arguing that any communication from court staff to jurors is considered prejudicial, and that the defense proved Hill had prejudicial communications with jurors. He argued that \u201cone of those jurors says it influenced my verdict. How is that not prejudice?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Murdaugh, 55, was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences without parole for the 2021 murders of his wife\u00a0and son. He has denied killing his wife and son, but pleaded guilty to various financial crimes and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/alex-murdaugh-sentenced-to-27-years-for-financial-crimes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">was sentenced<\/a> to 27 years in prison. In addition, he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/alex-murdaugh-sentenced-to-40-more-years-in-prison-for-federal-financial-crimes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">was sentenced<\/a> to 40 years in federal prison for various financial crimes. He is appealing that sentence along with the murder conviction.<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Former South Carolina county clerk, Rebecca \u201cBecky\u201d Hill, who was involved in the Alex Murdaugh murder trial, is now confronting 76 ethics violations. These charges include misusing county funds for bonuses, meals, and gifts, as reported by the Associated Press. Hill resigned in March amid the ongoing investigation<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":126,"featured_media":2259438,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-1913164059.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2259437","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-1913164059.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2259437","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/126"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2259437"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2259437\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2259438"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2259437"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2259437"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2259437"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}