Threatened: SC Department of Health Nominee Testifies He was "Threatened" Car was "Vandalized" in attempt to "Intimidate" During Senate Confirmation Hearing

Dr. Edward Simmer, nominee to
South Carolina Department of
Health testifies before the State Senate
during his confirmation hearing at the 
State House in Columbia, S.C. 

Written by Tony J. Spain, Palmetto Examiner
March 21, 2025

 COLUMBIA SC—(PE) Dr. Edward Simmer, nominee to head the South Carolina Department of Health, said he has been the target of threats, vandalization with a fake car bomb and attempted intimidation since Gov. Henry McMaster picked him to lead the department.

"I have been threatened. Our car has been vandalized. In an apparent attempt to intimidate me," South Carolina Department of Health nominee Dr. Edward Simmer testified during his Senate confirmation hearing yesterday.

Simmer later told reporters from the Post and Courrier the car he shares with his wife was vandalized with a device attached to the license plate with two wires that were connected to a battery pack, then went into a box made to look like a bomb. 

“Thankfully it wasn’t (a bomb), but it was frightening,” Simmer said, adding it was the reason his wife, Peggy, did not attend the confirmation hearing to shield her from the hostile encounters.

Simmer also testified in his opening statements of threats and to a “negative” encounter before the hearing in the hallway.

“Peggy’s absence is not a show of non-support, but rather a shield to protect her from a potentially hostile encounter with opponents and those that wish us harm,” he said. “I already had a very negative encounter with someone in the hallway as much as I tried to get away. So that is a real risk.”

Complaints about Simmer have centered around the State’s response to COVID-19. Opponents claim Simmer pushed for school closures, shutdowns and vaccine and mask mandates. Simmer was appointed by McMaster to take over the lead of DHEC in February 2021 before the agency was dissolved into separate departments and has been the interim head of the newly created South Carolina Department of Health since November 2024.

McMaster has stood solidly behind that decision calling Simmer "exceptional" and "eminently qualified" but many in his own party are not in agreement. They label him as "South Carolina's Dr. Fauci" and an opponent to "medical freedom". 



“Dr. Edward Simmer’s track record during the pandemic demonstrated a clear disregard for South Carolinians’ values and freedoms, prioritizing mandates and divisive policies over individual rights,” Sen. Tom Fernadez, a Summerville Republican who sits on the committee, wrote on facebook.

Since being nominated Simmer says he has been called an “enemy of medical freedom” a “health czar,” “not a real doctor” and “evil,” he told the committee in his opening statement.

He told reporters later he has received threatening letters, in which people said they want to hurt him because he was “putting poison in people’s arms” and that he was “killing people.”

“No threats, no lies on social media, no smear campaign from cowards, many of whom hide behind anonymous letters and false social media identities, will ever deter me from continuing to serve the people of South Carolina to the very best of my ability,” Simmer told the committee.

Sen. Josh Kimbrell, R-Spartanburg, one of only two lawmakers who was able to question Simmer and converse with him during the hearing condemned any threats made.

“Anybody that’s made threats against you or threatening your family, I think that’s despicable and wrong, and please understand I would never condone or support that in any way” Kimbrell told Simmer.

Palmetto Examiner has not found any evidence of a police report related to the vandalism and fake bomb placed on the car and has reached out to South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the State’s Attorney General’s Office asking if there is an ongoing investigation into the threats of a state government official. No response has been received as of the writing of this article.

The committee did not take a vote to advance Simmer’s confirmation as more senators are scheduled to ask questions. It is unclear when the hearings will resume. 

**********************

About the Author:  Tony Spain is a former candidate for Richland County Council 2020 and an award winning former military photographer and journalist while in the Public Affairs Office for the U.S. Army. His photos and writing have been published in numerous publications such as The Commercial News, Danville, Ill.; The Paraglide, Fort Bragg, N.C.; Soldier of Fortune Magazine; The State Newspaper, Columbia, S.C., and more.

He lives in Columbia, S.C.

What Say You? Got something you'd like to say? Letter to the Editor (Guest Column), praises, criticism, hate mail, news story tip or just want to say, howdy. Send them to Tony@palmettoexaminer.com