BEAUFORT, S.C. (WCBD) – Attorneys for Russell Laffitte, the former Palmetto State Bank CEO and man convicted of helping Alex Murdaugh steal millions of dollars, have dropped him as a client because he failed to pay legal fees.
Laffitte was convicted in November 2022 of six federal crimes, including:
- Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud
- Bank fraud
- Wire Fraud
- Misapplication of bank funds (x3)
According to a March 9, 2023 federal court filing, three of Laffitte’s lawyers from the law firm Nelson, Mullins, Riley, and Scarborough have made a motion to withdraw as counsel “due to the client’s substantial failure to fulfill his financial obligations to counsel for representation at trial and for post-trial relief.”
The motion said that Laffitte is aware of the move, and attorneys Mark C. Moore and Michael A. Parente of Nexen Pruet will stay on as his counsel. They were brought on in January as Laffitte pushed for a retrial.
Laffitte’s motion for a retrial was dismissed March 6, 2023.
