September 3, 2013
Walhalla, SC.) Former Secret Service agent and candidate for Oconee County Sheriff, James Richard “Rick” Bartee was convicted by an Oconee County jury for Solicitation to Commit a Felony (the kidnapping of former Circuit Court Judge James C. Williams). The Honorable Lawton McIntosh sentenced Bartee to 10 years suspended to 5 years in prison and 5 years probation. While on probation he is to complete 250 hours of community service and also undergo a psychiatric evaluation.
In May of 2011, approximately 1 year before the Republican primary, James Bartee stated that he was approached about the possibility of running for Sheriff of Oconee County. At that time questions arose regarding his eligibility to become the Sheriff due to his lack of having served for a year as an officer certified by the State of South Carolina. Bartee contacted Brandy Duncan, general counsel for the Criminal Justice Academy via email on May 25, 2011, at which time she advised that he would not qualify but should he become employed with a local State agency for a year, this requirement would be met and that there was sufficient time to meet that qualification requirement if done immediately. In spite of this advice, Bartee continued to mount a campaign for Sheriff.
Former Circuit Court Judge James C. Williams, acting as a concerned citizen and resident of Oconee County questioned Mr. Bartee via email regarding his eligibility to serve as Sheriff due to his lack of qualifications per SC law .Bartee continued to assert that he was qualified and claimed in a recorded press interview in March of 2012 that he had been told he was qualified by Senator Alexander’s office and Brandy Duncan with the Criminal Justice Academy. However, testimony in court revealed that this was not the case. Judge Williams, who testified that he did not want the taxpayers of Oconee to have to go through a second election when Mr. Bartee was found to be unqualified to serve, sent Bartee several emails in April of 2012 questioning his qualifications, and on May 22, 2012 filed a civil suit to remove Bartee from the ballot.
Bartee embellished his record with the Secret Service during his entire campaign claiming on his website and on campaign literature that he had an unblemished record and that he served 25 years as a Senior Special agent. Personnel records from the Secret Service showed that he had been disciplined while serving as an agent and that he had been suspended for 3 days for an altercation with an employee of a gas station where racial remarks were alleged. Personnel records also showed, and Bartee admitted on the stand, that he had less than 10 years as a Senior Special Agent with the Secret Service.
The race for Oconee County Sheriff became quite heated. Bartee developed a following which included Nick Blackwell. Blackwell volunteered to put up signs and do whatever Bartee needed. Phone records show that Bartee was in frequent contact with Blackwell during the time that candidate Donnie Fricks and Blackwell had an altercation at Mayfest in Walhalla on May 12, 2012. Blackwell testified that Bartee had instructed him to hand out flyers with information about Fricks’s history and also to ask certain questions at forums. The questions were designed to elicit information which would be damaging to the other candidates. Blackwell did as he was told.
On May 24, 2012 the first hearing was held in Walhalla in front of the Honorable Cordell Maddox in the civil suit. The transcript from that hearing indicates that Judge Maddox was leaning toward ruling Bartee unqualified to run for Sheriff. The second hearing was scheduled for May 30, 2012 where Judge Maddox intended to make a final ruling on removing Bartee from the ballot. At this point, Bartee had $76,000 of his own money invested into his campaign.
“First, I want to thank the jury for their service in this case and for reaching the only conclusion possible based on the evidence,” said Solicitor Chrissy Adams. “Elections are contentious but the threat of violence to gain political office has no place in our democratic society. Today’s guilty verdict and sentencing will allow our community to finally put a close to the divisions and animosity that resulted from Mr. Bartee’s actions. It is disappointing that Mr. Bartee, who sought to serve as Sheriff, intentionally broke the law to further his own campaign. Fortunately Judge Williams was not harmed and today, ultimately justice was served.”