Former South Carolina court clerk Becky Hill, who presided over the Alex Murdaugh murder trial, is facing 76 counts of misconduct, according to the State Ethics Commission.
Hill is accused of using her official position as Colleton County clerk for financial gain, specifically to promote her book about the Murdaugh case, part of which she admitted to and apologized for plagiarizing.
Hill is also accused of sending herself nearly $10,000 in federal bonuses in the form of child support payments, according to a notice of hearing. She used federal funds to give food and gifts to court employees, including "Easter Goodies," Mother's Day gifts, Father's Day gifts and Valentine's Day gifts; paint supplies; flowers and decor; various meals for herself; office furniture; dog food, dog bones and a dog bed, among other items.
The court clerk, who held her position for about four years, resigned in March following allegations of jury tampering in the Alex Murdaugh trial but maintained that her decision to leave office was not the result of her conduct during the double murder trial.
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"Another significant impact in our clerk's office was in 2023, when we had to manage one of the biggest trials in South Carolina history. Our small town came together and made everyone proud," Hill said during a press conference at the time to announce her resignation. "Managing a trial with such importance to the people of South Carolina, as well as to the national and international media interest and public scrutiny, has caused me to reflect upon decisions involving my stay in the office of the clerk of court."
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She added that her decision not to seek re-election in 2024 will allow her to "focus on being a wife, a mother and a grandmother," and that she wants to provide "ample time to other Republican candidates" interested in the position of Colleton County Court Clerk.
Her attorney, Justin Bamberg, who has represented victims of Alex Murdaugh's financial crimes, said at a March press conference that Hill's decision had nothing to do with any pending investigations involving the clerk. Fox News Digital has reached out to Bamberg for comment on the ethics complaint.
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"Let me be extremely clear: Today is not in response whatsoever to anything going on with any investigation or anything of that nature," Bramberg said.
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SLED announced in September that it had opened two investigations into Hill's conduct during Murdaugh's murder trial, including a probe into allegations Hill used her position as clerk to benefit financially from sales of her book and another probe into the jury tampering allegations.
After being convicted in 2022 for killing his wife and son on a family hunting estate in 2021, Alex Murdaugh appeared back in court in January for a hearing focused on allegations of jury tampering against Hill.
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Murdaugh's attorneys argued that the allegations were warranted, but Justice Jean Toal ultimately decided, after hearing from the jurors who presided over the case, that a new trial was not necessary.
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Toal said before her ruling that while Hill was "attracted by the siren call of celebrity" and had made "fleeting and foolish comments," the jurors took their assignments seriously in convicting Murdaugh.
Of 12 total jurors who found Murdaugh guilty last spring, 11 said Hill did not influence their decisions. One said he heard the clerk make comments about watching Murdaugh's body language but said her words did not influence his verdict.
