Education
Who is Neil Mellen? Hint – Anti-School Prayer Advocate in SC Politics
VMI Cadet Neil Mellen ’02 & ACLU filed a lawsuit to stop prayers at VMI
The date was January 23, 2002 … the last day cadets at Virginia Military Institute (VMI) had prayer before evening mess (dinner). The Citadel held out until August 2003.
Why? Why do student cadets not have prayer before meals at VMI & The Citadel? Because then VMI Cadet Neil Mellen ’02 filed a lawsuit to stop prayers at VMI … and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) represented him as their lead plaintiff in the case.
The ACLU won … VMI, The Citadel, society and the rest of us all lost.
Neil Mellen went on to graduate VMI, got a job in Micronesia with the Peace Corp … and in 2003 he proudly received a $1,000 Student Activist Award from the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF). Yes … FREEDOM FROM RELIGION FOUNDATION … there is such a thing.
But, somehow after all that, Mr. Mellen made his way to South Carolina.
In 2005 (until 2008) Neil was hired by the conservative SC Policy Council.
In 2008 (until 2013) Neil was hired by the private K-12 school choice advocacy group South Carolinians for Responsible Government (SCRG).
Who hired him at SCRG? It was Randy Page (Bob Jones University & pro-DeSantis Never Back Down PAC) & Chad Connelly (former SCGOP Chairman, faith based advocate for the Republican National Committee & pro-life SC Citizens for Life). Randy and Chad were also both board members at Palmetto Family Council at the time (reportedly late 1990s – 2020) … focused upon implementing conservative Christian ideas in South Carolina.
Why? Does any of this make sense? NO, not to us either.
Yes, all indications are that Randy Page, Chad Connelly and others all knew Neil’s background … and still hired him anyhow. So the real question is what really is these people’s agenda?
CONTROLLED OPPOSITION: Check out our story on “Controlled Opposition … Does It Exist?” (HERE) … and was we teach …
“Watch what they DO, not what they SAY.“
SOURCE DOCUMENT: November 20th, 2017 employment application for the Children’s Trust of South Carolina … a job Neil did obtain given his obvious political connections.
EMPLOYMENT REFERENCES: Interestingly, even Edward Earwood, the Executive Director of the South Carolina Association of Christian Schools and now Board Chairman of the failed special needs school choice program here in South Carolina, provided Neil an employment reference for government funded Children’s Trust of South Carolina.
Again, why are supposedly Christian Conservatives promoting an ACLU represented anti-school pray advocate?
The other two references … Robert Adams, the now deceased lobbyist, and attorney Rick Reames, the former Director at the SC Department of Revenue who is directly attributed by the SC Inspector General’s Office with targeting a faux audit of Jeff Davis, Olga Lisinska and Palmetto Kids FIRST Scholarship Program. Perhaps we will have more history updates on that later.
Developing story so stay tuned …
Coffee & Politics – June 13th, 2025 – YouTube (HERE) & RUMBLE (HERE)
Friends, we have been running a weekly Coffee & Politics Meeting out of our Greenville Headquarters for nearly 3 1/2 years now … and it has been a huge hit. It is how we communicate our vision and #Mission to or local Volunteers and Community … and it one way we RECRUIT more people to the MAGA America First movement.
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What is the #1 enemy of a political campaign? TIME!!!
The clock is ticking friends. Exactly 365 days from today will be the 2026 Republican & Democrat Primaries here in South Carolina. That is not a lot of time.
It is even less time with EARLY VOTING beginning on Tuesday MAY 25th, 2026 – FRIDAY June 5th, 2026.
ARE YOU READY???
Are you doing what YOU need to do to (1) run for office … or (2) help a CANDIDATE run for office???
The clock is ticking … #FOCUS!!!
PRIMARY: June 9th, 2026
EARLY VOTING: May 25th – June 5th, 2026
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Coffee & Politics – June 6th, 2025 – YouTube (HERE) & RUMBLE (HERE)
Friends, we have been running a weekly Coffee & Politics Meeting out of our Greenville Headquarters for nearly 3 1/2 years now … and it has been a huge hit. It is how we communicate our vision and #Mission to or local Volunteers and Community … and it one way we RECRUIT more people to the MAGA America First movement.
WHEN: Every Friday from 11am – 1pm
JOIN US!!!
NOW ON RUMBLE!!! (HERE)
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Coffee & Politics – May 30th, 2025 – YouTube (HERE)
Friends, we have been running a weekly Coffee & Politics Meeting out of our Greenville Headquarters for nearly 3 1/2 years now … and it has been a huge hit. It is how we communicate our vision and #Mission to or local Volunteers and Community … and it one way we RECRUIT more people to the MAGA America First movement.
WHEN: Every Friday from 11am – 1pm
JOIN US!!!
Subscribe to our YouTube Page (Rumble upgrade coming soon):
Subscribe: HERE
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Coffee & Politics – May 23rd, 2025 – YouTube (HERE)
Friends, we have been running a weekly Coffee & Politics Meeting out of our Greenville Headquarters for nearly 3 1/2 years now … and it has been a huge hit. It is how we communicate our vision and #Mission to or local Volunteers and Community … and it one way we RECRUIT more people to the MAGA America First movement.
WHEN: Every Friday from 11am – 1pm
The opposition hates it so much … and we temporarily had to move it to a local DENNY’S restaurant … because they actually filed a ZONING / Business Use violation as we were not authorized to have public meetings inside our HQ (outside is OK) as we are just formally permitted as a “business office” AND a PODCAST STUDIO!!! Yes, we are formally permitted at our HQ as a PodCast Studio … so guess what we can do!!!
We are now LIVESTREAMING the meeting not just for our local Greenville Friends … but also statewide (and worldwide as we have had members watch from Europe & even from a transatlantic cruise).
“What is meant for evil God turns to good”
– Genesis 50:20
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Coffee & Politics – May 16th, 2025 – YouTube (HERE)
– by Jeff Davis
Friends, we have been running a weekly Coffee & Politics Meeting out of our Greenville Headquarters for nearly 3 1/2 years now … and it has been a huge hit. It is how we communicate our vision and #Mission to or local Volunteers and Community … and it one way we RECRUIT more people to the MAGA America First movement.
WHEN: Every Friday from 11am – 1pm
The opposition hates it so much … and we temporarily had to move it to a local DENNY’S restaurant … because they actually filed a ZONING / Business Use violation as we were not authorized to have public meetings inside our HQ (outside is OK) as we are just formally permitted as a “business office” AND a PODCAST STUDIO!!! Yes, we are formally permitted at our HQ as a PodCast Studio … so guess what we can do!!!
We are now LIVESTREAMING the meeting not just for our local Greenville Friends … but also statewide (and worldwide as we have had members watch from Europe & even from a transatlantic cruise).
“What is meant for evil God turns to good”
– Genesis 50:20
DONATE: HERE
If anyone would like to make a 501(c)(3) tax deductible donation to help cover the cost of the LIVESTREAM software … we would greatly appreciate the support.
Subscribe to our YouTube Page (Rumble upgrade coming soon):
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###
ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Jeff Davis is co-founder of mySCGOP.com. Jeff is a ’89 graduate of The Citadel and in 1993 received his Law/MBA from USC. A tax attorney / CPA licensed in Georgia, Jeff is an uncompromised school choice advocate for K-12 children with special needs. Originally from Charleston, and having practiced in Atlanta, Jeff and his wife Olga now live in Greenville. Jeff is the Greenville County Republican Party Chairman (2021-2023 & 2025-2027) and also served as the GCRP State Executive Committeeman (2023-2025).
Jeff is also “barred” from attending the SCGOP State Executive Committee Meetings (HERE). Why? Because he dared to run against Drew McKissick for SCGOP Chairman – coming in 2nd with Drew only being reelected by 1.8% (HERE & HERE) – and in September 2021 he told the State Executive Committee that Chad Connelly had been under SLED investigation for a year and a half … and it was true (HERE & HERE).
Send us your opinion on this great debate … and how you would like to see it solved … by emailing us at team@mySCGOP.com.
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