(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has joined a lawsuit aimed at blocking the requirement for federal contract workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19. South Carolina is joining a lawsuit filed by Georgia’s governor and its University System Board of Regents.

“This is not about whether vaccines are a good idea,” Attorney General Wilson said. “I’m fully vaccinated and I encourage anyone who can to get it. But the way the Biden administration went about this is unconstitutional and I’m sworn to uphold the Constitution. No one designated President Biden as King Joseph the First.”

Attorney General Wilson explains that, under the Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, powers that are not delegated to the United States are reserved for the States or the People. Neither Article II of the U.S. Constitution nor any act of Congress authorizes federal agencies of the executive branch to implement the Contractor Mandate. That’s a police power left to the States under the Tenth Amendment. The Biden administration’s actions violate basic principles of separation of powers and federalism and ultimately threaten the liberty interests of all Americans.

By implementing this mandate that any federal contractor is required to have its employees vaccinated against COVID-19, the Biden administration has violated the Tenth Amendment. Therefore, South Carolina and Georgia argue that the Contractor Mandate was adopted by an unconstitutional exercise of authority by the Biden administration and must be struck down.

The Director of the Office of Management and Budget said of the Executive Order that requiring contractors and subcontractors to be vaccinated would improve economy and efficiency by reducing absenteeism and lowering labor costs, but the OMB provided no research or data to support that claim. The Contractor Mandate was also never published to the Federal Register for the purpose of receiving public comment, as required.

The Biden administration’s actions violate basic principles of separation of powers and federalism and ultimately threaten the liberty interests of all Americans.

The lawsuit requests that the Court declare the Contractor Mandate unlawful, unconstitutional, and unenforceable and grant a temporary, preliminary and permanent injunction to block its enforcement.

Shore News Network Latest posts

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.