Attorney General Henry McMaster

McMaster Biography: (longer version)

Henry McMaster was elected Attorney General for the State of South Carolina on November 5, 2002.

As Attorney General, McMaster has led the fight to protect our children from Internet predators who target children for assault of abduction. Using a new law he pushed through the General Assembly in 2004, McMaster launched a statewide Internet Predator Task Force made up of forty local, state and federal law enforcement authorities to run undercover stings targeting target predators over the Internet.

Since 2004 115 predators have been targeted, arrested and prosecuted by the task force.

Calling it “the state’s number one crime problem,” McMaster has launched a tough new campaign against domestic violence by recruiting and deputizing volunteer attorneys to prosecute domestic violence cases in magistrate courts around the state where no prosecutor was available to handle the cases. McMaster has also asked the General Assembly to appropriate $2.2 million dollars to the sixteen state Solicitors for the purpose of hiring of 46 dedicated domestic violence prosecutors, one for each of the state’s forty-six counties.

McMaster launched a massive state grand jury investigation and prosecution of the Carolina Investors – Home Gold Inc. collapse, calling it the “largest white collar criminal case in state history.” Over 8,000 South Carolina investors lost over $275 million dollars when the companies collapsed in 2003. To date five company executives have been indicted. Four executives have been convicted or have pled guilty. The fifth is awaiting trial.

In 2004 McMaster launched a statewide task force aimed at combating illegal dog fighting and drug trafficking, putting some of the nations highest level dog fighters and breeders behind bars. For his leadership, the Humane Society of the United States named McMaster the 2005 National Law Enforcement Official Of The Year. In the area of drugs and illegal narcotics, McMaster has led the way in attacking the methamphetamine problem in the state, calling it the “kudzu of drugs.” In cooperation with retailers around the state, the South Carolina Meth Watch program was launched in an effort to educate retailers on the dangers of meth and how to enact loss prevention tactics to curb the theft of meth ingredients from their stores.

Henry McMaster with Ronald ReganThe Republican Attorney General has also earned praise as the Sierra Club’s 2004 public servant of the year for his efforts to protect the our state’s shared natural history. McMaster won a hard fought 2005 battle in the General Assembly to grant the state grand jury authority to investigate and prosecute white-collar environmental crimes.

Henry McMaster Republican PartyMcMaster also took on the ACLU when the group sued the town of Great Falls on behalf of a Wiccan high priestess in order to prevent any reference to Jesus Christ being used in town council prayers.

McMaster was born in Columbia, South Carolina to John Gregg and Ida Dargan McMaster. He has five brothers, all living in Columbia.

He received his Bachelor’s Degree in history from the University of South Carolina in 1969 and in 1973 graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law.

Henry McMaster with Strom ThurmondMcMaster worked as a Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond in Washington, D.C. until 1974, when he joined the firm of Tompkins and McMaster, which was established over a century ago in 1898. Upon the recommendation of Senator Strom Thurmond, McMaster was nominated by President Ronald Reagan as United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina in 1981, and was the first U.S. Attorney in the nation to be appointed by President Reagan. He completed his four-year term as U.S. Attorney in 1985.

McMaster was elected Chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party in 1993 and served four terms until 2002.

Henry McMaster FamilyMcMaster is married to Peggy Jean McAbee of Spartanburg and they have two children, Henry, Jr. and Mary Rogers. They are members of First Presbyterian Church in Columbia.