Judge unloads $176K penalty on Murdaugh podcaster Mandy Matney after finding subpoena defiance

A South Carolina judge found Alex Murdaugh crime reporter and podcaster Mandy Matney in civil contempt and ordered her to pay $171,500 in attorneys' fees and costs, plus a $5,000 fine, after concluding she willfully refused to comply with a subpoena in litigation tied to the Murdaugh family.

In a 22-page order filed Monday, Circuit Judge R. Keith Kelly concluded Matney deliberately disregarded a valid subpoena and prior court order requiring her to appear for a deposition, rejecting her claim that safety concerns justified her refusal.