BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCIV) — A Berkeley County veteran and a civil liberties group are suing Gov. Henry McMaster, challenging his decision to deploy hundreds of South Carolina National Guard troops to Washington, D.C.
The lawsuit was filed earlier this month and taken directly to the South Carolina Supreme Court, bypassing lower courts. The plaintiffs argue McMaster overstepped his authority by sending Guard members out of state for what they describe as a routine security mission rather than an emergency.
According to the filing, more than 300 South Carolina National Guard members are currently in Washington on a second 90-day deployment, with the most recent mission beginning in December. The governor has said the troops were sent to provide what his office calls “critical support” to law enforcement agencies in the nation’s capital…