Bill Chumley

Bill Chumley
Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives
from the 35th district
Assumed office
2011
Personal details
Born (1947-09-24) September 24, 1947
Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States
Political party Republican

William M. Chumley (born September 24, 1947) is an American politician. He is a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from the 35th District, serving since 2011. He is a member of the Republican party.[1]

In the aftermath of the Charleston church shooting in 2015, Chumley said he would not vote to remove the Confederate battle flag from the grounds of the South Carolina State House.[2] In a broadcast statement on CNN, he observed "These people sat in there and waited their turn to be shot, that's sad. Somebody in there with a means of self-defense could've stopped this."[3]

Surprised, CNN's Drew Griffin offered Chumley the chance to clarify or revise his words. Chumley did not.

After widespread criticism across US media, Chumley apologised for his words on 24 June 2015 (the
following day):

“I deeply regret using those words and giving that impression,” he said. “My view, which I was clumsily trying to express, was that it is painfully regrettable that someone was not able to intervene in this demented killer’s life to stop him right up to the moment he squeezed the trigger.”

“Please let me be clear: the responsibility for the despicable murders in Charleston rests solely on the murderer. If any of my remarks suggested differently, I am deeply sorry.”[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Bill Chumley". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
  2. ↑ Hawes, Jennifer (June 24, 2015). "We're asking every member of the SC legislature about the Confederate flag". Post and Courier (Charleston). Retrieved June 24, 2015.
  3. ↑ Lavender, Paige (June 24, 2015). "South Carolina Lawmaker: Charleston Shooting Victims 'Waited Their Turn To Be Shot'". Huffington Post. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
  4. ↑ "William Chumley regrets self defense comment". Post and Courier Charleston SC. June 24, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2015.


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