A South Carolina Republican lawmaker known for championing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation has resigned after being arrested and charged with distributing child sexual abuse material.
Robert John “RJ” May III, 38, represented the state’s 88th district in the South Carolina House of Representatives and previously worked as a strategist for the South Carolina House Freedom Caucus.
In June, May was indicted on 10 counts of distributing sexual abuse material involving children. If convicted, he faces five to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 (£184,338), and at least five years of supervised release after his sentence.
In his resignation letter, released Monday (11 August) and addressed to House Speaker Murrell Smith, May wrote:
“I have decided it is in the best interest of my family and constituents to resign immediately from the South Carolina House of Representatives… it has been an honour to serve the people of District 88.”
Smith confirmed on X that he had accepted May’s resignation:
“Our prayers remain with the victims, and we will continue to seek justice and accountability.”
Freedom Caucus Calls Resignation “Long Overdue”
The South Carolina Freedom Caucus welcomed May’s departure but criticised the delay.
“The people of District 88 deserve true and honorable representation,” the group stated. “While we welcome this resignation, we strongly believe that the SC House should have acted to expel RJ May after he was indicted for such heinous crimes.”
May is being held without bail at Edgefield County Jail, after a judge ruled he should not be released due to living with his wife and young children.
History of Anti-LGBTQ+ Rhetoric
Since his election in 2020, May has been vocal in his opposition to LGBTQ+ rights. He supported bans on gender-affirming healthcare for minors, restrictions on drag performances, and the exclusion of trans people from sports, often framing his positions as protecting “childhood innocence.”
In 2023, speaking to WIS10 about a bill banning gender-affirming care for minors, May said:
“This is about preventing children from going through life-altering surgeries… yet we’re going to allow them to have permanent, life-altering surgery?”
He also backed legislation to criminalise businesses that allow minors to attend drag shows, calling them “adult entertainment where folks have sexualized agendas.”
In January 2024, during a House floor debate, May claimed:
“We as legislators have an obligation to ensure that our children have no harm done to them.”
May was also a 2022 speaker at a Moms for Liberty event — the group has been designated an anti-LGBTQ+ hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
