Christopher Aaron Corley (born September 12, 1980) is an

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politician. He is a former member of the

South Carolina House of Representatives The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly. It consists of 124 representatives elected to two-year terms at the same time as U.S. congressional elections. Unlike many legislatures, seatin ...

from the 84th District, serving from 2014 to 2017. He is a member of the Republican Party. Corley resigned from the State House in early 2017 amid domestic violence allegations, to which he pled guilty. He resigned his seat before expulsion hearings could begin.

Early life and career

Corley was born in

Augusta, Georgia Augusta is a city on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The city lies directly across the Savannah River from North Augusta, South Carolina at the head of its navigable portion. Augusta, the third mos ...

to Kyle Corley and Shirley Corley on September 12, 1980. Corley graduated from

Midland Valley High School Midland Valley High School (MVHS) is a four-year high school located in Graniteville, South Carolina Graniteville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Aiken County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 2,614 at the 2010 census ...

in 1998, from the

University of South Carolina Aiken The University of South Carolina Aiken (USC Aiken or USCA) is a public university in the Aiken, South Carolina area. It is part of the University of South Carolina System and offers undergraduate degree programs as well as master's degrees. Addi ...

in 2002 with a degree in

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

, and in 2008 from the

University of South Carolina School of Law The University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law, also known as South Carolina Law School, is a professional school within the University of South Carolina. Founded in 1867, it is the only public and non-profit law school in South Car ...

. He was previously the youngest registered

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He also owned the Law Offices of Christopher Corley in

. Corley lives in Graniteville with his wife and three children.

Electoral history

In 2014, Corley defeated Adam Mestres, Rick Turnbull, and Lance Weaver in the Republican primary for the 84th district, which includes an area of South Carolina northeast of Augusta, across the

Savannah River The Savannah River is a major river in the Southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and South Carolina. The river flows from the Appalachian Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean, ...

. Corley defeated Rosie Berry in the general election. In the 2016 South Carolina House of Representatives election, Corley ran unopposed. Corley has served on the Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Environmental Affairs committees.

Political positions

Corley introduced a series of bills proposing

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for recipients of

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program In the United States, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, is a federal government program that provides food-purchasing assistance for low- and no-income persons to help them maintai ...

(SNAP) assistance, as well as limiting the benefits that able-bodied adults can receive. Corley supported a law granting reciprocity to gun owners from

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, as well as a failed effort to allow reciprocity for all concealed weapons permits. Corley had previously expressed skepticism about laws restricting individuals accused or convicted of

domestic violence Domestic violence is violence that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes r ...

from possessing firearms. During the 2016 Republican presidential primaries, Corley supported then-candidate

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and was his co-chairman in Aiken County.

Confederate flag controversy

Corley is an opponent of South Carolina

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Nikki Haley Nimarata Nikki Randhawa Haley (''née'' Randhawa; born January 20, 1972) is an American politician and diplomat who served as the 116th governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017 and as the 29th U.S. ambassador to the United Nations from Ja ...

, the governor having previously implored "anyone" to run against Corley during his re-election campaign. In July 2015, he suggested the State of South Carolina should fly a

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of surrender on the

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grounds in place of the Confederate Flag which was removed by the

South Carolina General Assembly The South Carolina General Assembly, also called the South Carolina Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of South Carolina. The legislature is bicameral and consists of the lower South Carolina House of Representatives and ...

following the

Charleston church shooting An Anti-Black racism, anti-black mass shooting and hate crime occurred on June 17, 2015, in Charleston, South Carolina. Nine people were killed, and one was injured, during a Bible study (Christianity), Bible study at Emanuel African Methodist ...

. Corley later sent Christmas cards featuring the

Confederate Flag The flags of the Confederate States of America have a history of three successive designs during the American Civil War. The flags were known as the "Stars and Bars", used from 1861 to 1863; the "Stainless Banner", used from 1863 to 1865; and ...

to his fellow Republican lawmakers, suggesting they "take this joyous time as an opportunity to ask for forgiveness of all your sins such as betrayal".

Admission of guilt in domestic abuse

In December 2016, during an argument with his wife in which she accused him of infidelity, Corley allegedly punched her in the face, pointed a Smith & Wesson SD9 VE 9mm pistol at her, and threatened to kill her in the presence of two of their children. Corley was arrested and charged with first-degree criminal

. Following a hearing, he was released on bond. The felony charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Corley could also have been suspended from the House of Representatives. On January 4, 2017, Corley was indicted on

and weapons charges and suspended from duties of office. He could have faced up to 25 years in prison. Later that month, on January 24, Corley resigned from the South Carolina House of Representatives. On August 7, 2017, Corley pled guilty to charges of first degree domestic violence and in exchange was given five years probation.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Corley, Christopher 1980 births Living people Republican Party members of the South Carolina House of Representatives People from Graniteville, South Carolina Politicians from Augusta, Georgia University of South Carolina alumni University of South Carolina Aiken alumni University of South Carolina School of Law alumni South Carolina lawyers South Carolina politicians convicted of crimes 21st-century members of the South Carolina General Assembly