Former South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh disbarred amid money laundering charges

Disgraced South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh has been disbarred by the state’s Supreme Court for “admitted reprehensible misconduct.” Since his preliminary arrest final yr, Murdaugh has been accused of money laundering and fraud charges, however he may be charged with homicide later this week, his attorney stated Tuesday.

“Based on his admitted reprehensible misconduct, we hereby disbar respondent Richard Alexander Murdaugh from the practice of law in South Carolina,” the Supreme Court stated in an order signed by all 5 court docket justices on Tuesday. 

The disbarment comes after Murdaugh, 54, was hit together with his sixteenth indictment for an alleged eight-year money laundering and painkiller ring with a pal and former shopper, who additionally allegedly agreed to assist Murdaugh kill himself so his surviving son might accumulate a $10 million life insurance coverage coverage.

Also on Tuesday, Murdaugh’s attorney Jim Griffin stated he’s anticipating his shopper to face homicide charges a while this week. 

“We have not been advised by anyone associated with law enforcement or the attorney general’s office that Alex will be charged with murder,” Griffin stated in an announcement. “I am aware that SLED (the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division) advised the family that they intend to seek murder indictments from a grand jury later this week. We won’t have any comment until charges are actually brought against Alex.” 

In an announcement, SLED spokeswoman Renée Wunderlich declined to verify any upcoming charges. 

“SLED’s investigation into the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh is still active and ongoing,” Wunderlich stated. “Agents are committed to the integrity of the investigation, thus no additional information from SLED will be provided at this time.”

Still unsolved are the capturing deaths of Murdaugh’s spouse and youthful son outdoors their house in June 2021. Their killings are usually not referenced in any of the brand new indictments, and each Murdaugh and Smith have adamantly stated they’d nothing to do with them.

In his Tuesday assertion, Griffin didn’t specify if the attainable homicide charges have been in connection to his household’s capturing deaths.

The former attorney additionally faces a slew of charges starting from mendacity to police and attempting to rearrange his personal loss of life, to stealing money from shoppers, to arranging $4.3 million in wrongful loss of life settlements for a housekeeper who died in a fall at his house, then not giving her household a dime.