Posted on May 31, 2010

Larry Hargett responds to Damming attack On his Integrity For release on receipt. Further Information: Larry Hargett, 843 514-7135/lshargett@aol.com Summerville, SC, June 1, 2010—an irate Larry Hargett is calling on State Representative Annette Young and her hand-picked successor, Chris Murphy, to issue an apology to him for a vicious attack on his integrity and credibility contained in a mailing from Ms. Young that was dropped in mail boxes over the Memorial Day weekend. Dorchester County Councilman Larry Hargett, a candidate for the Republican nomination for House District 98, assailed the charges as mud-slinging at its worse and contains many inaccuracies and false statements. “Ms. Young, acting on behalf of her hand-picked candidate, Chris Murphy, distorted Mr. Hargett’s legitimate inquiry on behalf of a constituent,” he said. The facts are simply this: “during August, 2007, a constituent David Mikulski, told Councilman Larry Hargett that he felt he was wrongfully assessed on the former golf course in King’s Grant that had been closed for 2 years. Councilman Hargett contacted the Dorchester County Assessor’s Office and requested, in writing, that the Assessor’s office conduct a review of TMS171-00-00-047C. This review was done with a subsequent meeting that occurred between the County Assessor, Mr. Wayne Welch, and Mr. Hargett’s constituent, David Mikulski. The constituent was satisfied with the explanation of assessed value by Mr. Welch and no further action was taken on behalf of the constituent or the County Assessor. The property assessment was not lowered, no taxes were changed and nothing illegal or immoral occurred. Mr. Hargett said “that he, like all elected county, state and federal legislators is contacted daily by constituents seeking answers. It is my constitutional duty to work on behalf of my constituents as long as it is legal and no wrong doing takes place”. “This is nothing more than a desperate move on behalf of a candidate, Chris Murphy, who is behind in the polls and who has enlisted the help of his mentor, Ms. Young, to slander me in hopes that enough voters have a concern. It is an affront to my integrity, character and hard work on behalf of my constituents. The personal letter by Ms Young to voters in District 98 is an embarrassment to my family, Linda and my three sons, my church that I have been involved with for over 30 years and my prison ministry at Lieber Prison. Further, I have never questioned the character of Ms. Young, nor have I brought it up in this campaign.” Mr. Hargett concluded “he has consulted with an attorney regarding possible legal action and strongly urges both his opponent, Chris Murphy, and the present House of Representative for District 98, Annette Young, to apologize and to set the record straight".