COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- A suspended South Carolina legislator facing no opposition for re-election is heading to trial on tax evasion charges.
Rep. Harold Mitchell's court date is set for Nov. 26 in Spartanburg. State revenue officials claim he didn't file income taxes for 2005 through 2008 until he filed delinquent returns, and under-reported his income, in 2009. His lawyer says Mitchell thought he didn't earn enough to file.
The Spartanburg Democrat also faces investigation by the House Ethics Committee for possible ethics violations stemming from the prosecution's review.
Mitchell has taken the rare step of waiving his confidentiality rights to make his ethics case public. State law otherwise bars any mention of it unless the committee finds probable cause violations occurred.
Attorney Bruce Byrholdt said his client has nothing to hide.
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