My Dumb State, South Carolina: Attorney General Alan Wilson Supports Trump’s Illegal, Lawless Firings Of Government Watchdogs

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson joins 20-state coalition defending Presidential authority over executive branch - South Carolina Attorney General

FEB 24, 2025

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – Today, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson joined 19 other state attorneys general in filing a friend-of-the-court brief in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia to uphold the President’s constitutional at-will removal authority over executive branch officials. Within one week, South Carolina has joined in Bessent v. Dellinger, Storch v. Hegseth, and Wilcox v. Trump, reinforcing the vital principles of separation of powers and state sovereignty.

The three briefs defend President Trump’s ability to hire and fire cabinet officials within both the executive branch and independent agencies. Indeed, the President wields the Constitutional authority to remove such officers without restrictions.

“The Constitution gives the President clear authority to manage the executive branch, and that includes removing officials who no longer have his confidence,” said Attorney General Wilson. “When Congress or courts interfere with that power, they disrupt the accountability South Carolinians and all Americans expect from their federal government. This case is about protecting the balance of power that safeguards our state’s sovereignty.” The 20-state coalition—including Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and West Virginia—warns that the concept of maintaining independent executive officers free from Presidential oversight threatens our Federalist system. Recent Supreme Court cases like Seila Law v. CFPB underscore the President’s plenary removal power and highlight the historical limits on judicial intervention in such cases.

“We’ve joined this battle three times now because it’s critical to our system of government,” Wilson added. “South Carolina stands firm in defending the President’s authority and the principles that keep power in check.”

The three cases are Bessent v. Delliger1, Wilcox v. Trump2, and Storch v. Hegseth3.

The as-filed briefs are available here1, here2, and here3.

  1. Office of Special Counsel (OSC). The Office of Special Counsel (OSC) is an investigative and prosecutorial office that works to end government and political corruption and to protect government employees and whistleblowers. ↩ ↩2

  2. Gwynne A. Wilcox4 National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) enforces the National Labor Relations Act by investigating allegations of wrong-doing brought by workers, unions, or employers, conducting elections, and deciding and resolving cases. ↩ ↩2

  3. Robert P. Storch, Inspector General at Department of Defense. The Department of Defense (DOD) provides the military forces needed to deter war, and to protect the security of the United States. ↩ ↩2

  4. The Board has five Members and primarily acts as a quasi-judicial body in deciding cases on the basis of formal records in administrative proceedings. Board Members are appointed by the President to 5-year terms, with Senate consent, the term of one Member expiring each year. Gwen Wilcox term does not end until August 27, 2028. This is another blatant example of Trump ignoring laws. ↩

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