{{Short description|American politician}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2017}} {{Infobox officeholder | name= Thad Viers | state_house= South Carolina | state= South Carolina | district= 68th | term_start= January 3, 2003 | term_end= January 3, 2010 | preceded= G. Murrell Smith Jr. | succeeded= Heather Ammons Crawford | birth_date={{birth date and age|1978|3|13}} | birth_place= | death_date= | death_place= | profession= Business Development Consultant | party=Republican |}} '''Thad T. Viers''' (born March 13, 1978) is a former Republican South Carolina State Representative for District 68. He lives in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
==Early life and education== Viers was born in 1978 to Brenda and Carson Viers. Thad Viers grew up in Socastee, South Carolina, off of Highway 814 in Ammons mobile home park. Thad is short for Thaddeus (of the Twelve apostles). Thad has a younger brother also named after one of the Twelve apostles named Bartholomew (Bart for short). In high school, he started a Teen Age Republican (TAR) club before becoming an office intern for the late U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond. In 1995, Thad graduated from Socastee High School and then matriculated to The Citadel (military college) to pursue a Marine Corps commission, where he was awarded a three-year academic scholarship. He was injured and discharged.
==Career== In 1999, he went to work at The Heritage Foundation, where he served with Jack Spencer, now a senior fellow. After the completion of the ABM Missile Treaty Project, he returned to South Carolina to become the District Field Representative for former U.S. Congressman Henry Brown. He was also a business development consultant. He graduated from University of South Carolina School of Law in 2007.<ref name="thadviers.com">{{cite web |url=http://thadviers.com/about-thad/ |title=About Thad |accessdate=2011-12-01 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111208163954/http://thadviers.com/about-thad/ |archivedate=December 8, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
===South Carolina legislature=== In 2002, incumbent Republican State Representative Murrell Smith was redistricted into another district, leaving the 68th House District open. In the Republican primary run-off, Viers defeated Helen Smith 52%-48%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=42600|title=Our Campaigns - SC State House 068 - R Primary Run-Off Race - Jun 25, 2002|publisher=|accessdate=April 25, 2017}}</ref> He won the general election with 70%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=40219|title=Our Campaigns - SC State House 068 Race - Nov 05, 2002|publisher=|accessdate=April 25, 2017}}</ref> He won re-election in 2004 (70%), 2006 (91%), 2008 (65%), and 2010 (98%).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=22750|title=Our Campaigns - Candidate - Thad T. Viers|publisher=|accessdate=April 25, 2017}}</ref>
In 2012, he was a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives' newly created 7th District, during which he was charged with harassment of an ex-girlfriend and withdrew from the race.
=== Tenure === He was only one of seven members of the House to vote against the state taking stimulus money from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. In 2011, he won the South Carolina Association of Taxpayers "Friend of the Taxpayer" award. He has been endorsed by the NRA Political Victory Fund and the South Carolina Citizens for Life. He has signed the Americans for Tax Reform "Taxpayer Protection Pledge."<ref name="thadviers.com"/>
=== Committee assignments === * Judiciary Committee<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scstatehouse.gov/member.php?code=1876136139|title=South Carolina Legislature Online - Member Biography|publisher=|accessdate=April 25, 2017}}</ref>
==Personal life== In 2006, Viers was charged for threatening to beat up a man who was dating his estranged wife. Explaining that he was "under the influence of love," he pleaded no contest to the charge and was found guilty and fined.<ref>{{cite news|title=Rep. Thad Viers arrested on harassment charge|url=http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/16463746/rep-thad-viers-arrested-on-harassment-charge|accessdate=January 7, 2012|newspaper=WMBF News|date=January 6, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Mak|first=Tim|title=Thad Viers, GOP congressional candidate, quits after arrest|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2012/01/gop-hill-candidate-quits-after-bust-071166|access-date=January 7, 2012|newspaper=Politico|date=January 6, 2012}}</ref>
In 2010, he sued the City of Myrtle Beach in the State Supreme Court over a law requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets within the city limits, which he regarded as unconstitutional.<ref>[http://www.thestate.com/news/local/crime/article90762662.html Local news] thestate.com (subscription required)</ref>
===Sexual harassment=== In January 2012, Viers was arrested on charges of harassing a 28-year-old woman described as an ex-girlfriend. He was released on a $5000 bond and subsequently withdrew his bid for the GOP nomination to the U.S. Congress from South Carolina's 7th congressional district, citing "personal reasons".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nbc12.com/story/16464709/rep-thad-viers-arrested-on-harassment-charge |title=Rep. Thad Viers withdraws from race for Congress after arrest - NBC12 - WWBT - Richmond, VA News On Your Side |website=www.nbc12.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170826115231/http://www.nbc12.com/story/16464709/rep-thad-viers-arrested-on-harassment-charge |archive-date=2017-08-26}}</ref> {{Main|United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina, 2012}}
===Money laundering=== In August 2014, Viers was indicted by a federal grand jury on fourteen felony charges including money laundering and making false statements to an IRS criminal investigator.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/news/local/article16677119.html|title=Former state Rep. Thad Viers facing federal criminal charges|publisher=|accessdate=April 25, 2017}}</ref> Viers pleaded guilty to money laundering in April 2015 in a plea deal that dismissed his other charges.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/news/local/article30921081.html|title=Thad Viers' sentencing date postponed; lawyer says there are 'other factors to consider'|publisher=|accessdate=April 25, 2017}}</ref> On October 20, 2015, Viers was sentenced to 37 months in prison and ordered to pay $875,000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wltx.com/story/news/crime/2015/10/20/former-lawmaker-thad-viers-sentenced-prison/74290754/|title=Former Lawmaker Thad Viers Sentenced to Prison|last=TEGNA|publisher=|accessdate=April 25, 2017}}</ref>
Viers was disbarred by the South Carolina Supreme Court in July 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thestate.com/news/local/crime/article90762662.html|title=SC lawmaker to lawbreaker to non-lawyer: Republican Thad Viers now disbarred|publisher=|accessdate=August 10, 2017}}</ref> In January 2017, Viers was released to a halfway house, according to prison officials.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/news/local/crime/article125661574.html|title=Former lawmaker Thad Viers no longer in prison|publisher=|accessdate=April 25, 2017}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist|30em}}
== External links == * [https://archive.today/20021223230400/http://www.scstatehouse.net/members/bios/1876136139.html Legislative Biography]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Viers, Thad}} Category:1978 births Category:Living people Category:American politicians convicted of federal public corruption crimes Category:People from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Category:Republican Party members of the South Carolina House of Representatives Category:South Carolina politicians convicted of crimes Category:The Citadel alumni Category:21st-century members of the South Carolina General Assembly