John E. Courson | |
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President pro tempore of the South Carolina Senate [1] | |
In office March 13, 2012 –June 4, 2014 | |
Preceded by | Glenn F. McConnell |
Succeeded by | Yancey McGill |
Member of the South Carolina Senate from the 20th district | |
In office December 15,1985 –June 4,2018 | |
Succeeded by | Dick Harpootlian |
Personal details | |
Born | Columbia,South Carolina,U.S. | November 21,1944
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Elizabeth Exum |
John E. Courson (born November 21,1944) is an American former politician. He served as a Republican member of the South Carolina Senate,representing the 20th District from 1985 to 2018. He resigned after pleading guilty to a common law misconduct charge in office. [2]
John Courson was born on November 21,1944,and graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1968.
He has served as a Republican state senator for South Carolina from 1985 to 2018. In 1998,he ran for Comptroller General of South Carolina,but lost to Jim Lander. [3]
He was elected President Pro Tempore of the South Carolina Senate on March 13,2012, [4] but resigned this office on June 4,2014,to avoid becoming Lieutenant Governor,a weak position that needed to be filled for six months before a new Lieutenant Governor was elected in 2014. [5]
In March 2017,during the South Carolina Statehouse corruption investigation,Courson was indicted on ethics charges for mishandling campaign funds and subsequently suspended from office. [6] He resigned June 4,2018,after pleading guilty to such charges. [2]
He is married to Elizabeth Poinsett Exum,and they have three children:James Poinsett,Elizabeth Boykin,and Harris Russell. He is Episcopalian.