Augusta co-author discusses investigations of S.C. official

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WIS) – Neil Gordon, the Augusta-based co-author of “Behind the Doors of Justice” with embattled Colleton County, S.C, Clerk of Court Becky Hill, is calling a pair of investigations of her “disappointing.”

The investigations, confirmed by the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division this week, are looking into whether she tampered with the jury in the Alex Murdaugh double-murder trial and used her elected position for personal gain.

“The Hills and the Gordons had become very close friends during the process of producing the book, so I certainly don’t wish any ill will on Becky,” said Gordon, who’s also the publisher of the Augusta Business Daily. “The part that concerns me is for gain personally that SLED mentioned.”

EARLIER COVERAGE:

• Augusta co-author to donate proceeds of Murdaugh book
• SLED launches investigations into Colleton County clerk of court

That concern stems from knowledge that Hill conducted some of the book business on her county email account, something Gordon said he had advised against.

A SLED spokesperson could not confirm when the probes began, but South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson called on the agency to look into the jury tampering allegations in September, days after Murdaugh’s attorneys went public with those claims.

As part of their request for a new trial, Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin alleged that Hill tried to sway jurors to reach a guilty verdict to help sell the book she would later publish with Gordon.

“We never considered the likelihood as reported to us by the jurors that the Clerk of Court would go into the sanctity of the juror room before he (Murdaugh) testified, and tell the jurors, ‘Don’t be fooled by his testimony, watch out for his body language,’” Griffin said at a September news conference.

Hill has categorically denied these allegations.

Murdaugh’s attorneys say the question before the court goes directly to Hill’s credibility, and Gordon acknowledges that took a hit when she admitted to plagiarizing a portion of their book’s preface.

“The plagiarism has not helped her credibility, but in fairness, I think the allegations of jury tampering and some decisions that she has made could be very, very separate,” he said. “I really do think that it comes down, nothing to do with the book, just whatever conversations that she may or may not have had with jury members.”

Gordon said through dozens of hours of working with Hill on the book, she never once mentioned any specific conversations that she had with jurors.

Once the plagiarism came to light on Dec. 22, Gordon said they made the decision to unpublish the book, the last copies of which were sold on Amazon this week.

All proceeds that he and his wife made following that revelation will be donated to charity, he said.

Gordon said he and his wife were interviewed by SLED a few months ago as part of the investigation, with the conversation focusing on when the couple first met Hill, when the idea for the book came about and when they started writing the book.

“I think they were trying to understand how much work maybe Becky did on the book before or during the course of trial,” he said.

Gordon said he does not know how much writing Hill did throughout the trial because he did not meet her until March 23, three weeks after Hill read the guilty verdict.

Gordon’s wife met Hill on the second to last day of the trial, he said.

He said he would be willing to cooperate with any subpoena.

“We have saved all of the text messages and emails and I think some of the conversations that we had as we were producing the book,” Gordon said. “For lack of better words, I’m an open book and I’m very transparent, I’m very honest and I’m more than willing to answer any questions whatsoever.”

Hill’s attorneys, Justin Bamberg and Will Lewis, did not respond to a request for comment.

The allegations surrounding Hill will be discussed at an evidentiary hearing later this month at the Richland County courthouse.

A status conference in the case is set for Tuesday, Jan. 16.

Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.