Politician accused of bribery-related crime challenges election loss

Dick Withington is challenging the results in one of two Republican primary races he lost in Horry County Tuesday claiming that negative publicity prior to Election Day cost him the campaign for the 4th district county council seat.

Withington was arrested in March on a bribery-related charge after he accepted money during an undercover sting operation, that was prompted by an email he sent to several Horry County councilmen including his opponent, asking for “maybe $20,000” to “drop out of the race,” the incident report said.

The 73-year-old Myrtle Beach man filed the protest Thursday with the Horry County Republican Party claiming “irregularities” that were instigated by his opponent, Horry County Councilman Gary Loftus.

Loftus won his reelection bid with 73 percent of the vote compared to Withington’s 27 percent.

Withington simultaneously ran in the GOP primary for the state Senate district 34 seat, winning 7 percent of the vote. That race will go to a runoff election, because challenger Reese Boyd captured 44 percent of the vote compared to incumbent state Sen. Stephen Goldfinch’s 42 percent.

Loftus declined to comment on the specifics of Withington’s challenge, except to say that it lacks merit.

“It’s not even worth a comment,” Loftus said. “Will it ever go away?”

Robert Rabon, chairman of the Horry County GOP, said the complaint has been forwarded to the state party, and he is waiting for instructions on how to proceed.

“I want to make sure I follow state guidelines,” Rabon said.

In the election challenge for the council race, Withington says the “long, rambling email” he sent to Loftus and County Council Chairman Mark Lazarus, Councilmen Johnny Vaught, and Cam Crawford should never have been shared with the county attorney because it was a “private intra party political matter.”

All email communication with county officials is public record and subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

Withington said County Attorney Arrigo Carotti “had the arrogance to suggest to our solicitor that I be charged with violating this law.”

Withington suggested to the council members that he would switch his focus to the state Senate race if they gave him a “donation,” according to the March 20 email obtained by The Sun News under a Freedom of Information Act request.

“In order for me to switch to Senate 34, which I am OK with, I will need immediate substantial donations, offers of further support and endorsements. If this should occur in the next few days, I can change my filing, and even endorse (redacted) if the facts should so warrant,” Withington said in the email.

“The choice is yours. Help me get a little help, maybe 20k and you win, or spend a small fortune and you lose,” Withington said.

Withington was arrested after accepting an envelope from an undercover officer containing $5,000. Withington was charged with inducement to file for, or withdraw from, candidacy for election, according to police records. He was released under a $10,000 bond.

Withington said in his challenge that a new election should be held, “in about four weeks, (that) would be fine by me.”

Withington has asked for a jury trial on the charges, the date for which has not been sent.

This story was originally published June 17, 2016 at 2:19 PM with the headline "Politician accused of bribery-related crime challenges election loss."