State official Roland Corning out of a job after incident - Big Big Forums

SHELBYDOG · 10-28-2009, 09:55 PM

State official Roland Corning out of a job after incident

Quote:

By ADAM BEAM - abeam@thestate.com

An assistant state attorney general was stopped in his car by a Columbia police officer Monday on suspicion of illegal activity, identified himself as an employee of the attorney general's office, and was not charged with a crime.

Roland Corning, an assistant attorney general, was pulled over by officer Michael D. Wines at 3:15 p.m. Monday, according to a Columbia Police Department report.

Wines is married to Megan Wines, who also works in the attorney general's office. Wines called his wife during the incident to verify Corning's identity.

Megan Wines then reported the incident to Deputy Attorney General John McIntosh, who relayed the information to Attorney General Henry McMaster, according to Trey Walker, spokesman for McMaster's office.

Less than two hours later, Corning was no longer employed with McMaster's office, Walker said Tuesday.

Wines wrote in his report that two people were in the car - Corning and an unnamed 18-year-old female, an "employee of Platinum Plus Gentlemen's Club."

Earlier, Wines had witnessed the Ford Explorer that Corning was driving pull into a secluded portion of Elmwood Cemetery that Wines had "received past complaints in ref. to illegal activity, i.e. sex acts and drug abuse," Wines wrote in the report.

Once the occupants of the Explorer saw Wines' patrol car, the driver "attempted to make a hasty retreat, spinning the tires in the driveway and accelerating rapidly," according to the report.

By the time Wines, who had gotten out of his patrol car, made it back into his vehicle, the Explorer was gone, the report said. Wines got on the radio and asked other officers in the area to look for the Explorer, and one of the officers stopped Corning on Wayne Street, a few blocks from the cemetery.

Wines then interviewed Corning and the woman, and said they gave "conflicting statements as to why they were at the location, and to their relationship." Because of that, Wines wrote, he asked Corning some more questions, which is when Corning identified himself as an attorney and showed Wines his "state attorney general's badge."

"At that point I asked if there was anything illegal in the vehicle, which he stated no and gave consent to search," Wines wrote.

The search revealed a sex enhancement drug and some sex toys. According to the report, Corning told Wines he had a prescription for the medication and the other items were always in the car "just in case."

That's when Wines decided to release the woman, who "stated that her vehicle was around the corner where Mr. Corning met her." Moments later, Wines released Corning.

Reports of the incident first appeared on the Columbia Web site FITSnews.com.

Mike King, Columbia's assistant city manager for public safety, said he did not know the details of the incident but was scheduled to be briefed about it this morning by Columbia Police Chief Tandy Carter.

"If there is any hint of impropriety, there will be a full investigation," King said.

Columbia Mayor Bob Coble, when contacted Tuesday night and read the report, said, "I don't think the officer did anything wrong." Coble declined to comment further.

Messages left for Corning, Wines and Attorney General Henry McMaster and his staff were not returned Tuesday night.

Corning is an assistant deputy attorney general and deputy securities commissioner with the S.C. Attorney General's Office.

He is a former state lawmaker from northeast Richland County and has been active in the state's Republican Party.

He was elected in 1986 to the S.C. House of Representatives from District 79. He chose not to run again in 1994 and was appointed by the Legislature to the state Workers' Compensation Commission.

From there, he went to the state attorney general's office.

Corning is perhaps best known in the House for his work on anti-abortion initiatives.

Reach Beam at (803) 386-7038.

http://www.thestate.com/local/story/1002279.html

SHELBYDOG · 10-28-2009, 09:58 PM

City won't investigate former lawmaker’s traffic stop

Ex-legislator in car with exotic dancer

Quote:

By ADAM BEAM - abeam@thestate.com
Columbia’s assistant city manager for public safety says the city will not formally investigate an incident Monday involving former state Assistant Attorney General Roland Corning.

Corning, who is a former state legislator, left his job with the attorney general's office after he was pulled over Monday on suspicion of illegal activity. When he was pulled over, Corning identified himself as an employee with the attorney general’s office and was not charged with a crime.

The city’s Mike King said after reviewing the incident with Police Chief Tandy Carter, “there is no indication of any wrongdoing of the officer.”

Officer Mike Wines, whose wife works in the attorney general’s office, stopped Corning Monday after witnessing his car pull into a secluded spot in Elmwood Cemetery in downtown Columbia.

Corning was in the car with an 18-year-old employee of Platinum Plus Gentlemen’s Club, Wines reported. After receiving conflicting stories from Corning and the woman, Wines searched Corning’s car and found some sex toys and sex enhancement drug.

Wines said Corning told him he had a prescription for the drug. He and the woman were later released.

King said because the car stopped immediately when signaled by the officer, and because there was no evidence of any crime, Wines would not have charged Corning with a crime.

King said the department will conduct an administrative review, which involves reviewing all radio traffic and any video evidence of the stop to ensure that the department’s policies and procedures were followed.

“It’s the lowest level review,” King said. “Anytime there is even a question, we do an administrative review.”

http://www.thestate.com/breaking/story/1002851.html