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Diane Goodstein Democrat or Republican? SC judges' political ties explored amid house fire
Judge Diane Goodstein, 69, has served in SC for over 27 years. Linked to Democrats, she clashed with Trump’s team after blocking voter data release in 2024.
A fire at South Carolina Circuit Court Judge Diane Goodstein's house in Colleton County, South Carolina, has sparked a massive controversy. The fire blew away the entire house while some residents, including Judge Goodstein's husband, former Senator Arnold Goodstein, were in the house. Amid that, claims have surfaced that Judge Goodstein could have been targeted.
As officers with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division probe the incident, it is not yet clear if it was an accident or an act of arson. Despite the police saying that no foul play is suspected, claims surfaced that judge Diane Goodstein and her family were targeted because of their political affiliation.
Is Diane Goodstein Democrat or Republican?
Diane Goodstein was appointed a Resident Circuit Judge for the First Judicial Circuit in May 1998, meaning she has been serving as a judge in SC for the last 27 years, making the 69-year-old one of the oldest serving judges in the state.
Though Judge Diane Goodstein does not have a political affiliation publicly listed, she is believed to be sympathetic to the Democratic Party. Her husband, former Senator Arnold Goodstein, is a Democrat and represented SC in the US House as well as in the Senate on a Democratic Party ticket.
Notably, in recent times, Judge Goodstein has been at the center of a standoff with the Trump administration in South Carolina, which has brought her flak from the local Republicans. Back in September, she blocked an order from the Trump administration that asked for the release of South Carolina voter information to the federal government. She ruled against the request, citing that it would be a violation of voters' privacy.
In a major update on the case, a month after Goodstein's order, SC judge Daniel Coble granted permission for the release of voters' data, overruling Judge Goodstein's earlier judgment.
Law Enforcement Looking Into The Fire
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said that they are investigating the fire but are unsure if it was an accident or an act of arson. Chief Mark Keel of the SCLED said that local law enforcement has been notified about the incident, and they are probing it.
Meanwhile, a statement was also released by South Carolina's Supreme Court that said that the incident happened when Judge Goodstein was "walking on the beach." It noted that "her husband, Arnie, was in the house with children and perhaps grandchildren."
