South Carolina’s top federal prosecutor terminated by White House

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCBD) — The top federal prosecutor in South Carolina is among a group of U.S. attorneys recently fired by the White House, according to her office.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina announced Tuesday that U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs is leaving the office following her termination by the Trump administration.

In a statement, Boroughs said it was “the honor of my career” to serve in the role as part of the Justice Department.

“The career men and women of this office work tirelessly day in and day out to meet the Department’s mission–to uphold the rule of law, keep our country safe, and protect civil rights,” she said. “It has been my honor to support them in this critical and patriotic work however I could for as long as I could. To my colleagues, our law enforcement partners, and our South Carolina community, thank you for trusting me with this work.”

Boroughs was sworn into office in 2022 after her nomination by former President Joe Biden. She was tasked with overseeing an office of roughly 140 attorneys and support staff.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, enforcing civil rights laws and prosecuting violent crime were among Boroughs’ top priorities throughout her tenure. The office secured five federal hate crime convictions under her direction.

The office also partnered with FBI Columbia to host several United Against Hate events, informational sessions designed to educate the public about federal hate crime laws and encourage incident reporting.

Boroughs also oversaw the recent indictment of a Nigerian man who was extradited to the U.S. to face prosecution for a sextortion scheme that led to the death of 17-year-old Gavin Guffey.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Brook B. Andrews will take over as South Carolina’s acting U.S. attorney.

Andrews joined the Justice Department in 2009 and previously served as the Deputy Criminal Chief overseeing the prosecution of white-collar and other crimes. He has experience in criminal, civil, and appellate cases, according to the office.

He graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law and clerked for U.S. District Judge Margaret Seymour and South Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Jean Toal.