Senate confirms Bryan Stirling to serve as SC's US attorney

The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed Bryan Stirling to serve as South Carolina's top federal prosecutor.

Stirling's confirmation came almost eight months after he was appointed by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and sworn in to serve under President Donald Trump's second administration.

Stirling was confirmed in a 53-43 Senate vote as part of a bloc of confirmations.

“Bryan is a motivated individual who is highly qualified for this position," U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said in a statement. "He will fiercely fight crime and make South Carolina safer."

As U.S. attorney, Stirling oversees an 120-person office with locations in Columbia, Charleston, Florence and Greenville.

In the first eight months on the job, Stirling's office has prosecuted a handful of high-profile cases.

Cases have included the prosecution of former Republican state Rep. RJ May, who pleaded guilty in September to five counts of distributing child sex abuse material. He is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 14.

On Thursday, Stirling's office announced the indictment of a Columbia man, Andrew Felkel, who faces hate crime and firearm charges after threatening and firing a gun at his neighbor, Jarvis McKenzie, who is Black. Felkel is white.

Prior to his appointment, Stirling was South Carolina's longest-serving prisons director, running the Department of Corrections.