Government critic Skip Hoagland arrested minutes before Beaufort Co. GOP meeting. Here’s why
By Chloe Appleby and
Evan McKenna
Minutes before the start of the Beaufort County GOP’s executive committee meeting Monday evening, local government critic Calvin “Skip” Hoagland was removed from the private event and arrested for trespassing by Bluffton police.
Just before 5:30 p.m., shortly after Hoagland entered the Downtown Deli in Bluffton, he was handcuffed and taken to the parking lot, where he was placed into a black SUV labeled with Bluffton Police Department logos.
As of 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Hoagland remained in custody at the Beaufort County Detention Center, according to jail rosters.
Hoagland was found to be in possession of a handgun, Bluffton Police Chief Joe Babkiewicz said. He never brandished the weapon, Babkiewicz said.
Just minutes after stepping foot into a Beaufort County GOP Executive Committee meeting, Calvin “Skip” Hoagland was removed by local law enforcement officers. Chloe Appleby
Monday marked Hoagland’s second trip to the county jail in recent months. After more than 20 misdemeanor convictions related to interrupting public meetings across Beaufort County, a magistrate judge in November sentenced him to a brief stint in jail, arguing that the thousands of dollars in court fines had not deterred Hoagland.
What was Hoagland’s status with local GOP?
Beaufort County GOP Chair Kevin Hennelly said on Monday night, shortly after Hoagland was detained, that Hoagland had not been a member in good standing with the group for several years.
It started during a GOP meeting in 2023, Hennelly said, when during public comment, Hoagland made “racist, sexist and xenophobic” comments directed toward Xiaodan Li, who served as a member of the electoral college for the state’s 1st Congressional district in the 2024 general election.
In a 44-4 vote, Hennelly said, the group’s executive committee decided that Hoagland would no longer be a member in good standing, which means he lost his status as a group member.
The group sent Hoagland a letter which said he had 15 days to correct the situation by publicly apologizing to Li and committing to following meeting rules in the future. Hoagland did not comply with that request, Hennelly said. They sent a follow up letter that stated he was no longer welcome to attend meetings with a refund for his membership fee attached.
Since then, Hennelly said, they have had to call local law enforcement two additional times on Hoagland for showing up to GOP meetings, once in Bluffton and another time on Hilton Head Island.
“This was not a one off,” Hennelly said.
Why was Hoagland detained?
On Friday, Hoagland sent an email to the county’s GOP saying that he was going to attend the meeting as another member’s guest. Hennelly responded via email, reminding Hoagland that his “member in good standing” status was revoked and that he would not be allowed into the meeting if he came, Hennelly said.
The group notifies local law enforcement whenever they host a meeting, Hennelly said, but for Monday’s meeting with South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson in attendance as a guest, they made sure to have increased security measures.
“He (Hoagland) tested the limits,” Hennelly said.
Local government critic Skip Hoagland was placed in handcuffs by Bluffton Police Department officers minutes after entering a quarterly Beaufort County Republican Party meeting on Jan. 27. Chloe Appleby
Bluffton chief summarizes the events
Babkiewicz, confirmed with The Island Packet that Hoagland was arrested for trespassing because he had appeared at the meeting after being asked not to. Held at a venue with a capacity of 125 people, the private event was not a government meeting and required attendees to register in advance.
Bluffton officers were stationed at the restaurant for the meeting, Babkiewicz said, and they were directed to stay and patrol in the area.
The chief said that the department was made aware that Hoagland might attempt to enter the event even though he was told he would be prohibited from attending.
The officers saw Hoagland enter the venue, Babkiewicz said, and made entry themselves, asking Hoagland to leave. When he refused, the officers removed him from the venue.
This story was originally published January 28, 2025 at 5:39 PM.
Chloe Appleby is a general assignment reporter for The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette. A North Carolina native, she has spent time reporting on higher education in the Southeast. She has a bachelor’s degree in English from Davidson College and a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.
Evan is a breaking news reporter for The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette. A Tennessee native and a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, he reports on crime and safety across Beaufort and Jasper counties. For tips or story ideas, email emckenna@islandpacket.com or call 843-321-8375.
