Ralph Hightower/blog

Jan 8, 2026 04:27 PM EST, Thu

With this year being the 250^th Anniversary of the founding of the United States of America, I wanted to instill an 18^th century vibe, using the wisdom of Ben Franklin’s “Poor Richard’s Almanack” to my South Carolina delegation in Washington, DC.

Senator Lindsey Graham (T-SC) had a brief moment of clarity after order was restored in Congress, but soon after developed J6 Amnesia. Wilson (T-SC2) and Scott (T-SC) never achieved clarity of mind.

There was another person, this one based in Columbia, South Carolina, that helped fan the flames of insurrection, South Carolina Attorney General, Alan Wilson, son of Joe “You Lie” Wilson. Alan is also an election denier. He joined an amicus curiae with other states attorneys general seeking to throw out Pennsylvania election results. As such, he was not only complicitant in the election denial, but he was also an active participant.

Call Scripts

Washington DC

My South Carolina Delegation

Hello, my name is Ralph Hightower, a constituent from Chapin, South Carolina. I’m calling to offer wisdom from one of our founding fathers.

“He that lieth down with dogs shall rise up with fleas.” — Poor Richard’s Almanack

In this, the two‑hundred and fiftieth year of our Republic, we recall the old wisdom of our forebears: that danger oft declareth itself long before it arriveth at the door. One if by land, two if by sea — the signal lanterns of a people resolved to keep watch.

So too in our own age were warnings given, plain as any lantern in the steeple. Each man knew his duty; each made his choice; each hath made his bed. And as the dawn broke upon the sixth day of January, the consequences rose with them, clinging as surely as the fleas to the sleeper who lieth down in folly.

For a Republic endureth not by accident, but by the courage of those who choose country over faction, truth over comfort, and memory over convenient forgetfulness.

Live Staffer Closing

And yet, among our delegation, some did forsake that courage. Some denied the lawful count outright; others, having spoken truth for but a fleeting moment, did swiftly retreat from it, as though honor were a hazard to be avoided. Such men keep their own counsel — and oft their own privileges — as carefully as any golfer guarding his place upon the green, mindful that displeasing a powerful patron may cost him more than a stroke upon the scorecard.

Voicemail Closing

Yet some among our delegation chose denial, and others, having glimpsed clarity, turned from it. They guard their comforts as carefully as any golfer guarding his place upon the green, unwilling to risk the displeasure of a powerful patron. Such choices bear their own consequences.

Wilson, Joe (T-SC2)

Office Locations
Washington, DC Office
1436 Longworth House Office Building 1 Independence Ave SE Washington, DC 20515 Phone: +1 (202) 225-2452
The Midlands Office
1700 Sunset Blvd (US 378), Suite 1 West Columbia, SC 29169 Phone: +1 (803) 939-0041 Fax: +1 (803) 939-0078
Aiken/Barnwell Office
1930 University Parkway, Suite 1600 Aiken, SC 29801 Phone: +1 (803) 642-6416 Fax: +1 (803) 642-6418

US Senate

Trumpian Party

Graham, Lindsey (T-SC)

Office Locations
Washington D.C. Office
211 Russell Senate Office Building 2 Constitution Ave NE Washington, DC 20510 Office: +1 (202) 224-5972, Fax: +1 (202) 224-3808
Midlands Office
2142 Boyce Street, Suite 404 Columbia, SC 29201 +1 (803) 933-0112 office +1 (803) 933-0957 fax
Upstate Office
2 West Washington Street, Suite 808 Greenville, SC 29601 Main: +1 (864) 250-1417 Fax: +1 (864) 250-4322
Pee Dee Office
McMillan Federal Building 401 West Evans Street, Suite 111 Florence, SC 29501 Main: +1 (843) 669-1505 Fax: +1 (843) 669-9015
Lowcountry Office
4 Carriage Lane, Suite 401 Charleston, SC 29407 Main: +1 (843) 849-3887 Fax: +1 (843) 971-3669
Piedmont Office
235 East Main Street, Suite 100 Rock Hill, SC 29730 Main: +1 (803) 366-2828 Fax: +1 (803) 366-5353
Golden Corner Office
124 Exchange Street, Suite A Pendleton, SC 29670 Main: +1 (864) 646-4090 Fax: +1 (864) 646-8609

Scott, Tim (T-SC)

Office Locations
Washington D.C.
104 Hart Senate Office 120 Constitution Ave NE Washington, DC 20510 Phone: +1 (202) 224-6121 Fax: +1 (202) 228-5143
Midlands
1901 Main Street Suite 1425 Columbia, SC 29201 Phone: +1 (803) 771-6112 Fax: +1 (855) 802-9355
Upstate
301 N. Main Street Suite 1006 Greenville, SC 29601 Phone: +1 (864) 233-5366 Fax: +1 (855) 802-9355
Low Country
2500 City Hall Lane 3rd Floor Suite North Charleston, SC 29406 Phone: +1 (843) 727-4525 Fax: +1 (855) 802-9355

South Carolina Seditious Six

2020 was the year of COVID-19. State governors and secretaries of state issued emergency declarations changing the process of collecting ballots to protect public safety.

A close read of Johnson’s statement — especially with the full page open in front of us— makes the strategy pretty clear once you strip away the constitutional framing. You’re already circling the right questions, and the context of 2020 matters enormously.

Below is a clean, structured breakdown that cuts through the rhetoric and looks at what was actually happening.

🧭 What Johnson and the 36 others were really arguing The letter claims:

Four states — Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin — “violated Article II” because non‑legislative officials changed election procedures during COVID‑19.
Therefore, the electors from those states were “unconstitutional” and Congress should object to counting them.
They cite Bush v. Gore and McPherson v. Blacker to argue that only legislatures can change election rules.

This is the Independent State Legislature theory in its early, pre‑2022 form.

But the key thing is what they don’t say.

🦠 COVID‑19 and emergency powers: what actually happened In 2020:

Governors, secretaries of state, and courts did adjust election procedures — mostly to expand access during a pandemic.
These changes included:
- Expanded absentee eligibility
- Ballot drop boxes
- Adjusted deadlines
- Modified signature‑matching rules
- Curbside voting
These changes were made under existing state laws, emergency powers, or court orders.

Crucially: State legislatures were not stripped of authority. They had already delegated some powers to executive officials or courts.

Courts repeatedly upheld these changes.

🎯 Are they cherry‑picking states? Short answer: yes — and the pattern is unmistakable.

The letter targets only:

States Biden won
States with narrow margins
States where Trump and allies filed lawsuits
States where legislatures were Republican‑controlled

They do not challenge:

Texas (massive expansion of early voting by the governor)
Florida (drop box rule changes)
Ohio (mail voting adjustments)
Any state Trump won where similar COVID‑related changes occurred

If the principle were truly “only legislatures can change rules,” they would have objected to all states where non‑legislative actors made adjustments.

They didn’t.

📉 Why these four states? Because they were:

State	Margin	Biden lead	Why targeted
Georgia	~12k	razor-thin	GOP legislature, heavy litigation
Arizona	~10k	razor-thin	Not targeted in this letter, interestingly
Wisconsin	~20k	narrow	GOP legislature, court fights
Pennsylvania	~80k	contested mail ballot rules	GOP legislature
Michigan	~154k	not close	but symbolically important

The pattern is not legal — it’s electoral math.

⚖️ Is this another Bush/Gore scenario? Not really.

Bush v. Gore was about:

A single state
A single recount
A margin of 537 votes
A dispute over how to count ballots

2020 was:

Multi‑state
Multi‑month litigation
Margins in the tens of thousands
No evidence of fraud found by courts
Dozens of lawsuits dismissed
No recounts changing outcomes

Johnson’s letter tries to borrow the language of Bush v. Gore, but the factual situation is nowhere near comparable.

🧩 What the letter is doing rhetorically It blends three moves:

Legal framing Using constitutional language to give weight to a political objection.
Selective outrage Focusing only on states where changing the outcome was mathematically possible.
Delegitimization through doubt Claiming “unprecedented allegations” and “grave concerns” without asserting fraud directly — a way to justify objections without evidence.

🔍 The deeper pattern You’ve been building a ledger of civic courage and institutional failure. This letter is a prime example of the latter: a document that uses constitutional language as a veneer for a targeted political strategy.

If you want, we can go line‑by‑line through the letter and annotate:

What is legally accurate
What is misleading
What is omitted
What is strategically framed

It would fit beautifully into your Hall of Shame module — especially as a companion to the Seditious Six entries.

Six South Carolina members of the House of Representatives delegation signed onto an amicus curiae seeking the Supreme Court

South Carolina Seditious Six
Nancy Mace (T-SC1)
Washington, DC Office
1728 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-3176
Beaufort Office
710 Boundary Street Beaufort, SC 29902 Phone: (843) 521-2530
Daniel Island Office
900 Island Park Drive Suite 260 Daniel Island, SC 29492 Phone: (843) 352-7572

Joe Wilson (T-SC2)
Washington, DC Office
1436 Longworth House Office Building 1 Independence Ave SE Washington, DC 20515 Phone: +1 (202) 225-2452
The Midlands Office
1700 Sunset Blvd (US 378), Suite 1 West Columbia, SC 29169 Phone: +1 (803) 939-0041 Fax: +1 (803) 939-0078
Aiken/Barnwell Office
1930 University Parkway, Suite 1600 Aiken, SC 29801 Phone: +1 (803) 642-6416 Fax: +1 (803) 642-6418

Sheri Biggs (T-SC3)
Washington DC Office
1530 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-5301
Anderson District Office
303 West Beltline Boulevard Anderson, SC 29625 Phone: (864) 224-7401

William Timmons (T-SC4)
Washington, DC Office
267 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 (202) 225-6030
Upstate Office
114 Trade Street Greer, SC 29651 (864) 241-0175

Ralph Norman (T-SC5)
569 Cannon HOB Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-5501 FAX: (202) 225-0464
Rock Hill Office
516 Oakland Ave Rock Hill, SC 29730 Phone: (803) 327-1114 FAX: (803) 327-4330

Russell Fry (T-SC7)
345 Cannon HOB Washington, DC 20515 (202) 225-9895 Office Hours: 9:00am-5:00pm
1500 Hwy 17 N, Suite 304 Surfside Beach, SC 29575 (843) 353-5377
401 West Evans Street Suite 205 Florence, SC 29501 (843) 799-6880 Office Hours 9:00am-1:00pm & 2:30pm-5pm

South Carolina

Attorney General Alan Wilson (Election Denier)

+1 (803) 737-3953 (Alan Wilson, SC AG)

Hello, my name is Ralph Hightower, a constituent from Chapin, South Carolina. I’m calling to offer wisdom from one of our founding fathers.

“Good morrow to you. I call upon you as a Citizen mindful of the Republic’s welfare.

The old Almanacks teach that ‘He who helps lay the tinder must not marvel when sparks take flight.’

Though you and your fellow Attorneys General did condemn the riotous Tumult of the Sixth of January, your earlier decision to lend your name to a Petition beseeching the High Court to cast aside the certified Choice of Pennsylvania remains a matter of public Record.

A Republic is upheld not by Fury nor by Force, but by the steady Hand that honors lawful Elections and the Peaceful Transfer of Power.

Therefore I entreat you, as a Man of Station, to affirm plainly that our Elections are rightful, that Violence hath no place in our Commonwealth, and that the orderly Passage of Authority is the surest Guardian of our Liberty.

For as Poor Richard might remind us: ‘A man may wash his hands after the blaze, yet the smell of smoke lingers on the coat he wore to the kindling.’”

Locations / Contacts

Locations
Mailing Address
The Honorable Alan Wilson P.O. Box 11549 Columbia, S.C. 29211
Office Location
Rembert Dennis Building 1000 Assembly Street, Room 519 Columbia, S.C. 29201 General Information: +1 (803) 734-3970 Constituent Services: +1 (803) 737-3953

🕯️ Prologue for Your January 6 History Lesson

“He that lieth down with dogs shall rise up with fleas.” — Poor Richard’s Almanack

For a Republic endureth not by accident, but by the courage of those who choose country over faction, truth over comfort, and memory over convenient forgetfulness.

+: Whereas Congressman Wilson and Senator Scott are election deniers, Senator Graham had a moment of clarity, and then developed J6 Amnesia.

🕯️ Complicity and Clarity

In every age, there are those who see the danger plain and speak it, and those who, seeing the same, choose silence for the sake of favor. Thus hath it ever been in the councils of men.

Some, in the months before the tumult, lent their voices to falsehood, stirring the embers that would kindle the flame. Their complicity lieth not in the hour of the riot alone, but in the long season of indulgence that preceded it. For he who winketh at mischief becometh partner to its deed.

Others, though perceiving the peril, sought refuge in ambiguity, hoping that caution might shield them from consequence. Yet clarity delayed is clarity denied, and the Republic hath little use for those who would speak truth only when it costeth them nothing.

And there were a few — too few — who beheld the gathering storm and declared it for what it was. Their clarity stood as a lantern in the night, though many chose to avert their eyes.

Thus the day revealed each man’s measure: who upheld his oath, who bartered it away, and who, having glimpsed the truth, sought thereafter to forget it. Complicity hath many fathers; clarity but a handful of heirs.