A SC Democratic operative faces drug trafficking charges. Will the party stand behind him?
Allegations of drug trafficking against a South Carolina man with ties to Democratic candidates are being refuted as “slim” by his attorney after the charges recently surfaced in a conservative news outlet.
Jason Belton, who started a nonprofit aimed at getting young, Black men interested in politics and works on a handful of Democratic lawmakers’ political campaigns, faces a federal trial in California this summer over allegations of drug trafficking.
Belton and his attorney, Bill Harris, have denied the California Grand Jury’s findings, and argued the government’s allegations are “exceedingly thin and circumstantial.”
The allegations against Belton surfaced May 2 in the Washington Free Beacon, a conservative Washington-based news outlet.
It has since driven a wedge between two current S.C. House Democrats — state Reps. Roger Kirby and Cezar McKnight — who are challenging each other in the June 14 primary after their districts were merged when the Legislature redrew state House maps based on new population data.
McKnight, in the primary race, has sought to use Kirby’s ties to Belton against him. But other Democrats said party members shouldn’t jump to conclusions about Belton so quickly.
“There’s nobody that’s above redemption and forgiveness, and I think that’s essential to anyone claiming to be a Christian,” South Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Trav Robertson said in an interview this week.
Who is Jason Belton?
Belton, 35, is a political operative and campaign consultant for Democrats based in Columbia.
He’s a co-founder of the political nonprofit Vision Walkers, which hosts cookouts to educate and register Black voters who are disengaged from politics, conducts door-knocking campaigns for politicians and hosts other community events.
Belton also runs a political consulting firm that’s connected to Vision Walkers called C&J Consulting, providing consulting, canvasing, phone banking, event help and other marketing assistance to Democratic candidates.
Most recently, Belton’s firm has worked for U.S. Senate candidate Krystle Matthews, a Democratic state lawmaker seeking to unseat U.S. Sen. Sen. Tim Scott, a Republican. Campaign finance data shows that Matthews’ campaign paid C&J Consulting $2,100 in total throughout October 2021.
Yolanda Davios, a spokesperson for Matthews, said in a statement Friday that Democrats attacking each other over ties to Belton is “unfortunate.”
“It’s unfortunate that these allegations are used for political gain without any concrete evidence,” Davios said. “Mr. Belton is a stand up guy who believes in a positive change for the people in South Carolina and I stand by his beliefs.”
And, between August 2019 and February 2020, Belton worked as a deputy political director for billionaire Tom Steyer’s unsuccessful 2020 presidential campaign. He currently serves as third vice chair of the Black Caucus in the South Carolina Democratic Party.
What is Belton charged with?
Since 2018, Belton has been under indictment in a sprawling federal drug trafficking case.
The federal indictment is largely targeted at California residents allegedly involved in a drug ring, but names Belton last on a list of 24 defendants. He’s accused of receiving a package containing four kilograms of cocaine at a house in Columbia from California resident Estevan Ortiz.
Specifically, he’s charged with possession of cocaine with an intent to distribute it and conspiracy to distribute the drugs.
Federal agents arrested Belton in January 2018, but the charges against Belton were eventually dropped in South Carolina. The charges were re-filed against Belton in California, and he faces an Aug. 23 trial in Santa Ana, California.
Belton is currently out on bond.
Harris, Belton’s attorney, said the government’s case against the Democrat is slim.
“That’s consistent with his being the last-named defendant in the pending indictment,” Harris said in an email. “The government concedes that Belton never met, spoke with, or knew of Mr. Ortiz in (California) before Ortiz mailed a parcel containing (the drugs).”
Harris said Belton was “temporarily staying” at the house where the drugs were delivered and that he wasn’t the intended recipient.
“Others were living in that same house at the time,” Harris said. “As reflected in phone records, another defendant in this case supplied Ortiz with the Beaumont Avenue mailing address, unbeknownst to Belton. The parcel’s addressee is a fictitious name, not Belton’s.”
Harris declined to make Belton available for an interview. Belton, in a brief phone call, said he would follow his attorney’s advice.
SC Democrats respond
The allegations against Belton surfaced once again May 2 on the debate stage between Kirby and McKnight, two House Democrats vying for the redrawn House District 101 in the Lake City area.
During the debate, Kirby defended hiring C&J Consulting, calling McKnight’s accusations “low” and “uncalled for.” He said he was not aware of Belton’s indictment, but commended the work his consulting firm has done for his campaign.
House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford, an attorney, said the Democratic Party and its politicians shouldn’t rush to condemn Belton.
Rather, the Richland County Democrat said, Democrats should wait to pass judgment until Belton’s case is resolved.
“We all know an indictment is nothing but a charge,” Rutherford said Thursday. “Until someone is convicted, I follow the Constitution.”
Rutherford also raised that Belton is not a major, but rather a minor, player in the state’s party politics.
“As I understand it, he was hired by campaigns but that’s not a party issue. We’ve had Democrats who have hired Republicans to get elected to things and that’s up to the candidates,” Rutherford said.
“I think we should follow the Constitution and the Bible,” Rutherford continued, “and wait until somebody is convinced of something before throwing stones at them.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with comment from Matthews’ campaign.
This story was originally published May 6, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
