Who is RJ May? South Carolina rep resigns amid arrest on child sexual abuse material charges
Rep. RJ May, R-West Columbia, pictured Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, resigned his House seat following charges of distributing child sexual abuse material. (Photo by Mary Ann Chastain/Special to the SC Daily Gazette)
South Carolina state Rep. RJ May has resigned from the House two months after his arrest on charges of distributing child sexual abuse material. The West Columbia Republican, who has been in jail without bond since June, submitted his resignation in a letter received Monday by the House Speaker’s Office.
May, 38, had been suspended without pay under state law for any public official indicted on a felony. He was also the subject of an active House Ethics Commission investigation, which was expected to be the first step toward expelling him from the chamber.
“I have decided that it is in the best interest of my family and constituents to resign immediately from the South Carolina House of Representatives,” May wrote in his brief, three-sentence letter dated Thursday. “It has been an honor to serve the people of District 88.”
Special Election Set for December
By law, a special election for May’s Lexington County seat is expected on Dec. 23, just weeks before the 2026 legislative session begins. Filing opens Aug. 29, with a primary on Oct. 21. The Speaker’s Office will set the official dates.
Republican Brian Duncan, owner of Security Pro and a past candidate for the seat, announced Monday that he will run in the special election. “Today’s resignation is long overdue,” Duncan said, adding that he hopes the move signals “a new era of accountability and leadership.”
Ongoing Ethics and Political Fallout
House Majority Leader Davey Hiott said it is unclear whether his ethics complaint will end with May’s departure. He urged that the probe expand to examine May’s work through his consulting firm, Ivory Tusk Consulting, which ran campaigns for conservative candidates, including Freedom Caucus members.
Freedom Caucus Chairman Rep. Jordan Pace welcomed the resignation, saying he had hoped the House would have already expelled May. “Our hearts are with his victims and his innocent family,” the caucus said in a statement.
May co-founded the ultra-conservative Freedom Caucus, serving as its de facto spokesman until last summer, when investigators seized his computers and the criminal probe became public.
Details of the Criminal Case
The federal investigation began in April 2024 after messaging app Kik reported to a nonprofit watchdog that videos depicting child sexual abuse were sent from an account called “joebidennnn69.” Investigators linked the account — which contained 220 illicit images and videos — to May’s home and cellphone, prosecutors said.
May’s attorney has claimed his accounts were hacked and that he was targeted for political reasons.
Despite the investigation, May continued to attend legislative sessions but refrained from speaking in debates. He maintained voting patterns aligned with the Freedom Caucus, though he had not been a member since August 2024.
May’s federal pre-trial hearing is scheduled for Aug. 20, with jury selection set to begin Sept. 10. His attorney has requested a delay.
May was re-elected last year without opposition. In November’s general election, there were 1,104 write-in votes for the seat compared to 13,020 for May, but the state did not record the names of write-in candidates.
Who is RJ May?
RJ May built his political career as a staunch conservative voice in South Carolina politics. A native of the state, May rose through GOP ranks as a strategist and campaign consultant before winning election to the state House in 2020 to represent District 88, which includes parts of Lexington County.
He was a founding member of the South Carolina Freedom Caucus, positioning himself as a champion of limited government, strict immigration enforcement, and opposition to what he called “woke” policies. Known for his confrontational style, he frequently clashed with the GOP’s mainstream leadership and acted as the caucus’s public spokesman.
Outside the legislature, May ran Ivory Tusk Consulting, a political consulting firm that worked with Republican candidates across the state. His clients often reflected his own hardline conservative platform, and records show payments from some continued into this year.
Before his arrest, May was seen as a rising figure among grassroots conservatives, combining political consulting, legislative activism, and media appearances to amplify his influence. His sudden downfall has not only ended his political career but also sent ripples through South Carolina’s Republican power structure, where his allies and critics alike are reassessing the fallout.