“I Was Attacked Twice. Now I’m Standing Up for the truth."
OP-ED ARTIFICIAL NARRATIVE, REAL CANDIDATE — AND THE REAL STORY BEHIND THE SMEARS
By Carlton Walker, Republican Candidate for SC House District 115
The smear campaign against me just keeps growing.
Tyler Bessenger’s latest article in the Carolina Courier isn’t journalism — it’s a coordinated hit piece written by a man with a disturbing past and deep connections to my opponent’s campaign.
Let’s deal with the facts.
Tyler Bessenger may act like an independent commentator, but people across South Carolina have come forward to share disturbing information about his background — including alleged ties to extremist groups, white nationalist circles, and even satanic symbolism. There are public images circulating of a five-pointed upside-down star with a circle on his hand — a known occult symbol. I’ll let voters decide what that means to them.
But here’s what really matters: Tyler isn’t just some outsider throwing stones. He’s allegedly close friends with both of my opponent’s campaign managers — one of whom is the current Berkeley County GOP Chairman, and the other the Dorchester County GOP Chairman. Both were either quoted or commented publicly against my campaign — despite the fact that, as elected party officials, they are required to remain neutral during Republican primaries under party bylaws.
Let’s be real: if a Charleston County chairman started commenting on a Berkeley or Dorchester race to influence the outcome, these same people would be up in arms. You can’t have it both ways. If you want to be campaign managers, fine — but then keep your mouths shut and follow the rules. Don’t break party bylaws just because your preferred candidate needs a bailout.
And let’s not forget John Mace McGrath — the other Garmon campaign manager — who told people I didn’t stand a chance, Johnnie is worth 100 million and is going to spend $250,000 of his own money. These are the same insiders who didn’t want a grassroots conservative in this race. Now they’re upset that the voters do.
It’s no surprise they’re panicking; they want the paycheck from Johnnie. I’ve got something money and manipulation can’t buy — the truth, and the support of the people who actually live here.
Voters deserve transparency, not hidden agendas.
If my opponent, Johnnie Garmon, wants to be taken seriously by the people of District 115, he should publicly condemn this kind of rhetoric and demand that Tyler Bessenger stop writing hit pieces on his behalf. Because silence is complicity.
And if he won’t speak up, then voters have every right to ask:
Does Johnnie support Tyler’s views and associations?
Does Johnnie condone the kind of hate and extremism that Tyler promotes?
Or worse — does Johnnie share them?
The people of this district deserve answers — not shadows.
No candidate who claims to care about this community — especially the Gullah Geechee community — should turn a blind eye to attacks coming from a man allegedly linked to white supremacist circles and anti-Christian beliefs. Not in a district as diverse, faith-centered, and community-driven as ours.
If Johnnie won’t speak up, the people of District 115 deserve to ask why. While he hides behind money and political handlers, I’ll keep doing what I’ve always done — showing up.
I’ll continue building bridges across racial and political lines. I’ll continue standing with the African American families of James Island, Johns Island, and the Lowcountry — the same families who welcomed me, worked beside me, and helped shape the man I am today.
I’ve lived the struggle — not the Black experience, but the everyday fight to survive, to serve, and to speak up when it’s easier to stay quiet.
I carried my 5-year-old daughter to the top of the Ravenel Bridge on Father’s Day in 2015 to stand against white supremacy — shoulder to shoulder with thousands of others in the wake of the Mother Emanuel tragedy. I didn’t do it for a camera. I did it because it was right. Because hate has no place in our state — and certainly not in this district.
So when I see political hit pieces written by people defending my opponent, who would rather stand with division and lies than with truth and justice, I won’t stay silent.
To those still clinging to that old stain of hate: carry your bitterness back to where it came from — because you are not welcome in this district, or in the future we’re building here.
This district raised me. And I will never stop fighting for it.
Why This Matters
Let’s not forget who I’m up against.
Johnnie Garmon has lived in this district for barely 18 months. He made $100 million off the backs of the dying and the vulnerable in the senior care industry — and now he’s dumping $250,000 of his own money into this race like it’s just another business investment.
He’s not here to serve. He’s here to buy power.
At a recent local political gathering, Johnnie Garmon admitted that party insiders initially wanted him to run against conservative State Representative Brandon Guffey — a fellow Upstate Republican from Johnnie’s own community. But after seeing that Guffey won 67% of the vote in his first race and a staggering 98% in his second, Johnnie packed up and moved to Charleston County. Why? Because he thought District 115 would be easier to buy with his money. This wasn’t about service — it was about strategy. He’s still consulting in the same senior care industry where he made $100 million, and now he’s trying to use that fortune to take over a district he barely knows. That’s not leadership. That’s calculated opportunism.
And while he flashes a smile and talks about “caring for the community,” his campaign is benefitting from vicious political attacks — written by a man allegedly tied to white supremacist groups and anti-Christian rhetoric. If that’s who you let speak for you, what does that say about what you really believe?
This is District 115 — diverse, faithful, and unbought. We don't need a carpetbagging millionaire with a PR team. We need a fighter who knows this place, lives in it, and has bled for it.
Johnnie Garmon’s number one campaign platform is “protecting our seniors and caregivers.” But let’s not be fooled by the slick smile and rehearsed soundbites — because the truth tells a very different story. Johnnie made his fortune — nearly $100 million — in the senior care and hospice industry, not as a servant, but as a businessman. He didn’t just work in the system, he profited massively from it.
And even now, while campaigning on promises to “protect” the vulnerable, he’s still actively consulting in that same industry. That’s not public service — it’s a conflict of interest. You don’t get to profit off the backs of the elderly, then turn around and pretend you’re their savior. This isn’t compassion — it’s calculation. It’s the kind of slick, self-serving strategy we’ve seen from career politicians and corporate insiders for years. Voters deserve a leader who fights for people, not someone who built an empire on them and now wants to use that as a political springboard. District 115 doesn’t need a salesman with a golden resume — we need someone with grit, backbone, and no strings attached. Don’t buy the branding. Don’t buy the smile. Look at the record.
I don’t have $250,000 to spend. What I do have is grit, roots, and faith. And I believe God doesn’t call the qualified — He qualifies the called. I believe He put me here for a reason, because God only gives His toughest battles to His toughest soldiers. And I’m ready to stand up to this machine — no matter how ugly they get.
Using AI for Good
Yes, I use AI. But I use it for good — to help communicate more clearly, to respond faster, to knock on more doors, and to connect with more voters. While some are using this technology to create propaganda, I want to use it to shine a light on broken systems — like our SC Department of Transportation — and put pressure where it belongs: on government agencies that have failed to deliver results for the people of District 115.
We can harness AI systems to streamline contracts, accelerate permitting, and finally cut through the red tape that’s choking our economy. It’s time we stop letting outdated processes stall growth — and start using 21st-century tools to D.O.G.E. our state agencies: Digitize, Optimize, Govern Efficiently.
South Carolina deserves a government that works at the speed of its people — not one bogged down by paperwork and politics.
Damn right you want someone using AI in government. While they’re still faxing forms and losing paperwork, I’ll be using smart systems to cut wait times, speed up permits, and get results. This isn’t the future — it’s what we should’ve been doing years ago. I’m not running to play along. I’m running to fix what’s broken — faster, smarter, and for you.
This election isn’t about taking away more rights from citizens through bureaucratic concurrency laws. It’s about getting SC DOT in gear, getting the job done, and keeping up with the growth that’s already here. We tried to fix this once before — when we created the position of Secretary of Transportation. My mother’s boss, H.B. “Buck” Limehouse, was the very first to serve in that role. If you’ve ever driven from Highway 17 onto Main Road to reach Johns Island, Kiawah, or Seabrook, you’ve driven on the memorial highway that bears his name and his grandfather is the Limehouse Bridge.
But what have we seen since? More red tape. More delays. More finger-pointing. Our roads are worse today because we handed off control to unelected bureaucrats who don’t live here and don’t answer to us.
It’s time to swing the pendulum back. Let our elected House Representatives have a real say in which roads get fixed — not be sidelined or punished for speaking up. The people of District 115 deserve infrastructure decisions made by leaders who live here, drive these roads, and understand what’s at stake — and understand what has happened to get us to this point.
Here I am
— as Tyler Bessenger says — “bouncing around the Lowcountry.” But the truth? I stepped away from District 115 for one reason only: to take care of my grandmother and save my grandmother’s life in District 15.
She was placed in one of the very types of facilities where my opponent, Johnnie Garmon, made his $100 million. But when I found out they had taken her off all her medications — including the ones that kept fluid off her heart — I pulled her out. If I hadn’t, she would’ve drowned from the inside out. That’s not speculation. That’s what the doctors told us.
I brought her home. I gave her her life back — even if just for a few more months. We spent that time making memories. I took her to see the Angel Oak Tree here on Johns Island, to dinner at the Market Street Pavilion, where Grill 225 is. Her last day on this earth was filled with joy — shopping with my aunt, smiling, living.
That’s not me “bouncing around.” That’s me doing what’s right.
And for those locals who know — take a look at the flag on the hat I’m wearing in that photo below with my grandmother. That’s the James Island Yacht Club. You don’t wear that if you’re bouncing around — you wear it because you belong here.
And no — I’m not against people with wealth. My best friend owns Grill 225, along with several other prominent local restaurants and hotels, and lives in one of the wealthiest homes on James Island. Wealth isn’t the issue. The issue is someone new to the district trying to buy a seat in our State House — without knowing, living, or respecting what this community has been through.
I didn’t run from responsibility. I ran toward it. And I’ll do the same for the people of District 115.
Final Word
If you’ve felt like no one’s listening, if you’ve felt priced out, written off, or ignored — this campaign is for you. I’m not running against anyone. I’m running for the working people of this district. I’m running for the elderly woman who needs a new roof like 93 year old Mrs. Cheatham whom I just gave one for FREE. I’m running for the child caught in a broken family court system. I’m running for the veterans, the parents, the renters, the small business owners — the forgotten majority.
They call me a bulldog. And they’re right. Because I don’t let go when I’m fighting for something that matters.
And this district matters.
Strong voice. Stronger backbone. It’s time. VoteCarltonWalker.com
Do You Want This? A Fighter Who Stands for What’s Right and Protects Our Seniors —
Or this? ....
Evil
These images were sent to me by a supporter who is a current member of the SC House and wants me to win.
We have a Democrat trying to get Johnnie Garmon elected by attacking me. The last thing we need is another RINO.
"My Opponent’s Ally Exploited Black Children for Propaganda"
I will wait for Johnnie Garmon's campaign to denounce this and his two campaign managers too.
This case confirms that James Tyler Bessenger, my opponent's vocal defender and political hitman, was the leader of the South Carolina Secessionist Party — a group that was permanently dissolved by court order after photographing two Black children holding Confederate flags without parental permission, then posting the image online to promote pro-Confederate propaganda.
STATEMENT ON TYLER BESSENGER AND THE SECESSIONIST PARTY SCANDAL
In 2019, a Charleston judge permanently dissolved the South Carolina Secessionist Party after it was sued for taking and circulating photos of two Black children holding Confederate flags — without their mother’s consent — to falsely imply support for their cause. The leader of that group? James Tyler Bessenger, the same man now working hand-in-hand with my opponent’s campaign and spreading coordinated attacks against me.
According to court records, Bessenger was ordered to apologize and donate to the NAACP, admitting he had grossly misjudged the true motives behind the flag movement he once led. The party’s websites and social media were shut down for good, and any reactivation could cost them millions in penalties.
This isn’t about political games anymore — this is about judgment, character, and what kind of people you trust to shape your community’s future. If my opponent won’t condemn this behavior or disassociate from the people behind it, then it speaks volumes.
I’m not running to divide — I’m running to build. And no matter how ugly they get, I will continue standing up for truth, decency, and every family in this district.
Lawsuit settlement calls for permanent end to SC Secessionist Party, NAACP donation
By Patrick PhillipsUpdated: Feb. 28, 2019 at 5:28 PM EST
CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - The South Carolina Secessionist Party has been permanently dissolved after a woman sued the party over photos taken of her children holding Confederate flags.
Alicia Greene filed a civil lawsuit last April against the party over a photo taken of her children at the Battery in downtown Charleston in June 2017.
In the photo, her 7 and 8-year-old children, both black, were holding Confederate flags and that the photo was circulated without her permission in an effort to imply endorsement of the flag.
According to a Ninth Circuit Court of Common Pleas document, the party will no disbanded and will forever remain dissolved and its "entire web presence," including all websites and social media pages "will be immediately and forever removed or deleted."
The settlement also stipulates that if the party or its web presence is reactivated, all of the defendants will each agree to pay the plaintiffs $1 million each.
One of the defendants, James Tyler Bessenger, who led the party before it was dissolved, agreed to apologize to the plaintiffs for everything they suffered as a result of the incident and agreed to donate $1,000 to the Charleston branch of the NAACP in the name of Greene and her family, the documents state.
The settlement allows Bessenger to retain the right to the name, "South Carolina Secessionist Party" but states he will not give anyone else permission to use it.
"Bessenger does acknowledge that while he became a leader in the Secessionist Party movement because he thought that the people who waved the flag with racist motives were in the vast minority, and that most people were genuinely interested in the historical aspects of the Confederacy, he is now convinced that this is not the case," the document states.
Greene sued for defamation and punitive damages in connection with the photo. She said she was having a picnic in White Point Gardens with her children on the same day the party was holding a pro-flag rally in the park.
The purpose of the rally was to, "Spreading the love to ALL our southern brothers and sisters," according to a party Facebook post cited in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit stated Greene's children went to admire a fire truck nearby at which point party members gave the children Confederate flags and took a photo of the children holding the flags without their permission.
Later that afternoon, the lawsuit states she was made aware that the party had posted the photo of her children holding the flags to the SC Secessionist Party Facebook page with the caption " #TeachTheYouthTheTruth" and "DixieRising".
Greene states she received enough backlash about the post that she was forced to take down her own Facebook page. The post was eventually deleted, but not before it had been public for more than one day, according to the suit.
The lawsuit stated the personality of the children was misrepresented in the post. Greene sued for defamation as well as punitive and actual damages.
With Judge Alex Kinlaw’s approval of the order, the lawsuit is dismissed and Greene is barred from bringing future claims against the defendants.
Copyright 2019 WCSC. All rights reserved.
Lights. Camera. Collusion. Johnnie’s campaign kicks off — with Tyler and his buddies writing the script.
