Former Rep. Rick Martin, a Newberry Republican, pleaded guilty to a single charge of unlawful communication by telephone on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. (File photo by Getty Images)
NEWBERRY — A former South Carolina representative pleaded guilty to charges of threatening an agency director over the phone.
Former Rep. Rick Martin, a Newberry Republican, must complete an anger management class in the next six months or spend 30 days in jail, a Newberry County judge decided Tuesday.
Martin was charged in 2021 with misconduct in office and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Prosecutors said he gave alcohol to a 15-year-old and called the then-director of the Department of Social Services to threaten his job and agency budget, The Post and Courier reported at the time. Martin was accused of making a similar call to an agency lobbyist.
Both charges were dropped this week and replaced with a single count of unlawful communication, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 days in jail and a minimum fine of $100, according to court records. Martin will have to pay $128.75 in court fees.
Martin was suspended from the House as soon as the charges against him were announced in 2021.
He still ran for re-election the following year but placed last in a three-way GOP primary won by Joe White. The retired businessman joined the hardline Freedom Caucus after he easily won the general election that November with no Democratic opponent. White was re-elected last year to the seat representing Newberry County and one precinct in Lexington County.
Martin and his attorney, House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford, did not respond to calls or texts requesting comment.
First elected in 2016, Martin owns Debrick, Inc., a Newberry-based company that sells all-terrain vehicles, dirt bikes and go-karts.
