Democrat Marvin Pendarvis resigns from state legislature

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCBD) – Marvin Pendarvis, a Charleston-area Democrat, resigned from the state legislature this week, House Speaker Murrell Smith’s office confirmed.

Pendarvis took office in 2017 after winning a special election to represent District 113 in the South Carolina House.

In a Sept. 16 letter to Speaker Smith (R-Sumter), Pendarvis said serving in the House was “the honor of my life.” His resignation is effective immediately.

“Because of my respect for this body and for the residents of my district, I have made the difficult decision to resign from my seat,” Pendarvis wrote in the letter obtained by News 2. “The residents of District 113 deserve a representative who can devote full time to their needs, and I cannot do that at this time.”

The news comes about four months after the South Carolina Supreme Court suspended the attorney’s license to practice law in the state amid an ongoing malpractice investigation.

A former client filed a lawsuit against Pendarvis over the alleged mishandling of his civil claim against the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office.

The man said he hired Pendarvis to represent him in a 2021 civil lawsuit against the sheriff’s office for unlawful arrest for kidnapping. Attorneys said Pendarvis “failed to provide competent representation, settled the case without [client’s] authorization, and even forged [client’s] signature on a settlement agreement.”

Attempts to reach Pendarvis via phone have been unsuccessful.

Pendarvis was slated to run unopposed for reelection in the Nov. 5 general election.

His name will still appear on the ballot as the deadline to withdraw has passed and ballot printing has already begun, according to county election officials.

This story is breaking and will be updated.