John E. Courson (born November 21, 1944) is a former

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

politician. He served as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

member of the

South Carolina Senate The South Carolina Senate is the upper house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the lower house being the South Carolina House of Representatives. It consists of 46 senators elected from single member districts for four-year terms at the sa ...

, representing the 20th District from 1985 to 2018. He resigned after pleading guilty to a common law misconduct charge in office.

Early life and education

John Courson was born on November 21, 1944 and graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1968.

Career

He has served as a Republican state senator for South Carolina from 1985 to 2018. In 1998, he ran for

Comptroller General of South Carolina The comptroller general of South Carolina is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the U.S. state of South Carolina. Forty individuals have held the office of comptroller general since 1800. The office has been held by Brian J. Gai ...

, but lost to

Jim Lander James Albert Lander (April 9, 1930 – October 29, 2020) was an American politician. He sat on the South Carolina Senate between 1993 and 1999, then became Comptroller General of South Carolina until 2003. Early life and military career Lander ...

. He was elected President Pro Tempore of the

on March 13, 2012, but resigned this office on June 4, 2014 to avoid becoming

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

, a weak position that needed to be filled for six months before a new Lieutenant Governor was elected in 2014. In March 2017, Courson was indicted on ethics charges for mishandling campaign funds and subsequently suspended from office.http://www.thestate.com/news/local/crime/article139060943.html He resigned June 4, 2018 after pleading guilty to such charges.

Personal life

He is married to Elizabeth Poinsett Exum, and they have three children: James Poinsett, Elizabeth Boykin, and Harris Russell. He is

Episcopalian Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the l ...

References

External links

*
Project Vote Smart - Senator John E. Courson (SC)
profile *''Follow the Money'' - John E. Courson
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campaign contributions

1944 births Living people University of South Carolina alumni Republican Party South Carolina state senators Politicians from Columbia, South Carolina 21st-century American politicians South Carolina politicians convicted of crimes {{SouthCarolina-politician-stub