Democrat leader wants Republican staff member fired

State Senator Thomas Alexander, the Oconee-Pickens Republican, says he is concerned and troubled by the posts on Facebook of a Senate staff member about a teenager in Parkland, Florida. But contrary to the call by the chairman of the state Democrats, Lisa Manini-Widener will get to keep her position. The chairman of South Carolina Democrats, Trav Robertson, called yesterday for Alexander to fire Manini-Widener, a staff member of the Senate Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee, for comments made about students who attend the Florida high school where students and others were killed by a gunman. According to the state Democratic Party statement, Manini-Widener posted on social media during the work day referring to students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School as “professional protestors” and promoting conspiracy theories about them and their families. Alexander chairs the committee and made the following statement this afternoon: “I am very concerned and troubled by the posts on the Facebook page of Mrs. Lisa Manini-Widener concerning the public comments of a teenager in Parkland, Florida. This is a serious matter. Although the details of personnel disciplinary cases must be kept confidential, the matter has been addressed. Mrs. Manini-Widener will retain her position.”