Columbia, SC (WLTX) - Columbia defense attorney Byron Gipson has decided to run for 5th Circuit Solicitor.
Solicitor Dan Johnson has served the 5th Circuit for the past eight years, and his term will be up in January.
"I'm running for Solicitor because I believe the integrity of that office needs to be restored," says Gipson.
Gipson says he saw the recent reports of alleged questionable spending within Johnson's office, including reports that money from drug-busts were being used for trips to South America, and that's why he made the decision to run.
"If those things are true, there's been some bad judgment that's been out there," says Gipson. "We're here to try to from this day forward, get the Solicitor's office in the direction that it should be going and to regain the public's trust in handling the business that's before the Solicitor's office."
The 20-year attorney, who field as a democrat, received an endorsement from Richland County Rep. Todd Rutherford. Rutherford has supported Johnson in the past, but says he too wants to see change.
"The seat is not Solicitor Johnson's it belongs to the people," says Rutherford, D-Richland. "If he believes that he didn't do anything wrong and he wants to file, then he should follow his heart. If I were giving him advice, I would say for him not to file. Take this time to get your affairs in order and make sure you can defend yourself."
"What we can't have is an elected official in South Carolina avoiding answering questions and not appearing in front of you all and determining what's best for the people of South Carolina as their office prosecutes other people who have violated the law," says Rutherford. "That is unacceptable, it cannot happen here and I'm going to do all I can to make sure it doesn't happen here."
Both Rutherford and Gipson say they told Johnson of their intentions and both men say Johnson understood their decision. Rutherford says Johnson told him he wants the chance to defend himself, but so far he's remained silent on the allegations.
News 19 reached out to Johnson to ask about his spending practices and if he was running for re-election, but again, we did not get a response.
"The courthouse is not going to just be a place that I walk by to get to my office," says Gipson. "For 20 years I have been in courtrooms throughout this state, probably 36 counties in this states, trying cases from the magistrate's courts, to the general sessions courts, to the common pleas court and even family courts and that's what I do."
So far, Johnson has not filed for re-election.