COLUMBIA --- A convicted felon seeking to run as a Democrat for an open South Carolina congressional seat has filed a federal lawsuit against the party he wishes to represent, claiming party officials unfairly kept him from advancing his candidacy.
In his complaint, filed Wednesday in federal court in Aiken, Brian Doyle, also known as Ryan B, accuses the South Carolina Democratic Party of violating his civil rights and conspiring "to thwart his political ambitions, and neutralize him as a voice for progressive, anti-corruption, humanistic politics and policies for the State."
Doyle, an Aiken resident and syndicated radio talk show host, is running for the Democratic nomination from South Carolina's 3rd Congressional District, a seat left open as Rep. Gresham Barrett seeks the Republican nomination for governor.
The district stretches along South Carolina's western border, from Aiken northward about 130 miles to Oconee County.
Doyle, the only black candidate in the contest, says the Democratic Party has not given him any support in launching his campaign or access to its resources, including voter lists for the 3rd District.
Asking for more than $1 million in damages, Doyle also says executive director Jay Parmley and other party officials have refused to answer his phone calls and inquiries "for the purpose of discouraging, demoralizing, and interfering with the candidacy of honest progressive younger Black political hopefuls."
"The Defendant South Carolina Democratic Party has a history of ... cherry picking their candidates for races or otherwise having other high ranking elected officials or senior party people contact aspiring candidates who do not fit their mold of malleability and subservience and cajoling them to abandon their aspirations," Doyle wrote in his complaint.
Reached Friday, Doyle said he was traveling to Washington, D.C., for weekend fundraising events and referred questions to an attorney. Records show he has reported no campaign receipts.
Party chairwoman Carol Fowler said she did not want to comment on the lawsuit until the party's attorney had reviewed it.
"We have not been served, and I haven't had a chance to talk with our attorney about it," she said.
Doyle asks that a federal judge require the party to publicize his candidacy and also says he has lost $200,000 in salary and syndication royalties and should get triple that amount in damages. He also asks that the party be required to pay at least $1 million in punitive damages.
No hearings have been scheduled in the case.
Doyle, 35, served more than two years in federal prison for a 2003 conviction for conspiracy and document fraud, according to court and prison records.
South Carolina state law prohibits convicted felons from serving in state office, Fowler said.
But felons can serve in federal office, although the U.S. House or Senate could vote to expel any member who is deemed unfit to serve.
In 2007 Richmond County Sheriff Ronnie Strength won a $6.35 million judgment against Doyle, radio station WAAW-FM (94.7) and its owner, Frank Neely.
Strength's suit alleged that Doyle and the station slandered him in a March 19, 2007, broadcast by calling the sheriff a killer. A caller and Doyle discussed on the air a fatal shooting in the 1970s and said Strength was then a vice officer and the one who pulled the trigger without justification.
I can't believe the Democratic Party would deny someone of Mr. Doyles upstanding stature in the community from running in that race. He is a great representative of what the Democrats stand for Marion Williams, Charles Walker, Marion Berry, William Jefferson, etc.
Well, I don't think he should be denied ballot access. Let him run and let the voters decide.
Brad, you should move to that district and vote for him. Ryan B needs to settle his lawsuits with the sheriff and Austin Rhodes.
This lying sack of crap may have just committed MORE fraud with his filing of these claims in Federal Court. 200k in SALARY? He never made any real money when he was ON THE AIR. Besides...FCC regulations mandate an EXIT from the airways for any candidate for Federal office, because of equal time concerns. In other words...if JAILBIRD here REALLY wants to run for Congress...he has to come off the air anyway.
Doyle's criminal tendencies are eclipsed ONLY by his PURE STUPIDITY.
This man is purely comical. Is he living in fantasyland?
It is going to be interesting to see how this case winds up !
Seems to me he would be a perfect fit with most of the other democrats, especially those in the US Congress - lying criminals. But what can you expect?
I agree, Roeschen. I hope the Democratic Party has to allow him to run. I'm surprised they opposed him.
Maybe he can borrow some money from Cynthia McKinney.
It amazes me that he thinks he could get elected in this district.
Doyle's lawsuit is asking a federal judge to require the party to publicize his candidacy. Excuse me, but is there going to be a primary in this election? Typically, political parties do not endorse candidates in party primaries. They wait until there is a single candidate and endorse that one. One thing is not clear in the article, is this a special election coming up soon, or is it the general election in November?
I think Austin should support him in his lawsuit efforts, that might be the only way he will get the money the court awarded from RyanB
Leave it to you Justus, to not only approve of this human vacuum, but to point out how he can play the race card to promote himself. I guess all that matters is his color, right?
Riverman, the biggest Political liars this Great Country of ours have ever seen were the Liars that got us into Iraq. Get your facts straight before you point fingers. Also as a side note,the Pres did a great job as fill i8n commentator of the Duke/Georgetown game.
The US did not invade Kuwait in an attempt to cut off a large part of the global petroleum supply. Nice try though.
Brad needs to find David Duke and get an update on the LAW that doesn't allow felons to run for office.
I thought it cost a lot of money to run for a Congressional office. Has he paid Austin and the Sheriff? If not, they need to find out where his money is coming from.
Doyle is a typical Progressive. Notice how he is suing for "lost" wages for having to give up his radio show. Progressives want the gov't to pay for EVERYTHING. Why should he have to raise money to pay for his campaign? The government can give him the money.
I think Justus should be Ryan B's campaign manager. They would get along famously. But in order to be successful, Justus would have to learn how to read a newspaper story, since he can't do that yet. Ryan B is suing for civil rights violations too, does Justus thinks that means age discrimination or sexual harassment?
Doyle isn't a Progressive, he is an "Entitlementer". He feels he is entitled to imaginary wages that exist only in his mind. Like reparations, you know?
All you "people" need to watch it. He'll sue you next.
Ryan B would sue his mother, his dog, and his chia pet, if he thought it would bring him publicity.
Say, SeniorMom: Before you take cheap shots at Brad Owens, maybe you should read the part of the story that points out that convicted felons are not prohibited from running for FEDERAL office.
Isn't an Augusta commissioner a convicted felon? It seems to me if the conviction had nothing to do with corruption while holding a previous public office then they should be allowed to run. Let the information get out there and voters can decide if it is a diqualifier. In the case of Aitken, he was convicted of dealing drugs, but had reformed himself. Voters in Augusta didn't think he should disqualify him from office. I would agree.
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