Columbia, SC (WLTX) -- More than six months have passed since state Attorney General Alan Wilson requested a state grand jury investigation into Lieutenant Governor Ken Ard's spending.
Lawmakers at the State House have begun to speculate on who could fill Ard's shoes if he steps down or is removed from office as a result of the probe.
The investigation into Ard's campaign spending started about a month after he took office and now many think the grand jury could soon reach a decision that could leave his position open.
Last year, the State Ethics Commission found Ard had inappropriately used his campaign money on things like computer equipment, football tickets and a family vacation among other things.
Ard later agreed to pay $48,000 to settle the civil fines and admitted to violating parts of the State Ethics Act, but that wasn't the end. Attorney General Alan Wilson began reviewing the case and eventually asked sled and a state judge to call for the grand jury investigation.
If Ard leaves his position, the Senate President Pro Tempore would fill the role. Currently, that person is Republican Senator Glenn McConnell from Charleston--that is, unless McConnell leaves that position , which would allow someone else to end up serving as lieutenant governor.
Now nothing has happened at this point, but Senator McConnell told News19 he hadn't made any decision about what to do if Ard left his office.
Richland County Senator John Courson said he'd had opportunities to run for lieutenant governor and never took them, but in this special circumstance he would be willing to serve .
"If the majority of the members of the senate asked me to consider it I would. But I would do it only with the caveat that I would serve the term out and not offer for re-election. I think that would be totally inappropriate," said Courson, a Republican.
Last July Ard said he had no plans to step down from office, but Thursday, when if he planned to resign, he replied "no comment."