Ex-SC lawmaker indicted on charges of inappropriately touching employee

Former S.C. Rep. Nelson Hardwick, R-Horry, was indicted for using his position to lure a House of Representatives employee to his office earlier this year to “inappropriately touch her against her will,” the S.C. Attorney General’s Office announced Monday.

The Richland County Grand Jury indicted Hardwick on Oct. 22 with one count of misconduct in office — a misdemeanor offense that carries up to 10 years in prison.

The investigation was conducted by the S.C. Law Enforcement Division.

Hardwick, an engineer from Surfside Beach, resigned in May from the S.C. House in the middle of his sixth term, after an investigation by the House Speaker’s office.

This story was originally published November 2, 2015 at 1:57 PM with the headline "Ex-SC lawmaker indicted on charges of inappropriately touching employee."