Prosecutor: SC House Speaker pleads to 6 charges

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Suspended South Carolina House Speaker Bobby Harrell has pleaded guilty to six campaign fiance violations and agreed to resign from office.

Harrell accepted a plea deal Thursday that lets him avoid jail time. Instead, he will have six years in prison suspended as long as he completes three years of probation. He was also fined $30,000, ordered to turn over about $10,000 remaining from his campaign account to the state and will pay $93,000 to South Carolina’s general fund.

Harrell also agreed to not run for office for at least three years. He told the judge he was glad to bring a hard two years for his family to a close.

Harrell pleaded guilty to six counts of use of campaign funds for personal expenses.

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Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP