Lawmakers in Carolinas react to Trump indictment

GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - Lawmakers in the Carolinas released statements after former President Donald Trump was indicted by a grand jury on Thursday.

The indictment accusing Trump of paying hush money during his 2016 campaign marks the first-ever criminal case against a former U.S. president.

Here is how lawmakers in South Carolina and North Carolina are responding:

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC)

“This indictment doesn’t pass the smell test. The Department of Justice already looked into the facts and decided there was no case to be made against President Trump. This is the same District Attorney who is notorious for letting violent criminals off the hook in Manhattan, but has been laser-focused on pursuing a politicized prosecution of a former president. Politics should never tip the scales of justice, and Congress has every right to investigate the conduct and decision-making of the Manhattan D.A.’s office.”

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster

“I do not see anything that is reasonable, anything that is honorable, anything that is legal, or anything that is even ethical about what this prosecutor has done. I am afraid we have not seen this type of reckless behavior by a prosecutor since that disgraced North Carolina district attorney was disbarred for trying to prosecute the Duke lacrosse team.”

Rep. Ralph Norman

“The indictment of President Trump today isn’t about justice or the rule of law. If it were, these charges would never be filed! Instead, it’s about the optics of an indictment. That’s all they care about. Total witch hunt!!”

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)

“This is a shocking and dangerous day for the Rule of Law in America. This is one of the most irresponsible decisions in American history by any prosecutor. It is irresponsible because the case was looked at by two previous prosecutors and they passed. It has not aged like fine wine. The chief witness for prosecution is a convicted felon, Michael Cohen, whose previous lawyer said he is untrustworthy. Upon scrutiny, this case folds like a cheap suit. So how does this end? Trump wins in court and he wins at the ballot box.”

Rep. William Timmons

“The Left’s weaponization of the justice system against President Trump and other political enemies is an egregious violation of the very foundations upon which our nation was built. House Republicans will fight this two-tiered, undemocratic system of justice and hold the Democrats accountable for their overreach.

What happened today reeks of corrupt regimes in third-world dictatorships. There must be accountability for this injustice. The end of Alvin Bragg’s career will be just the beginning.”

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