Prospect of Releasing County Spending Audit to Sheriff Discussed in Beaufort County Council Meeting

Prospect of Releasing County Spending Audit to Sheriff Discussed in Beaufort County Council Meeting

In a renewed development, Beaufort County Council is considering the possibility of providing a copy of the contentious county spending audit to law enforcement authorities. The audit, completed by Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd law firm earlier this year has been a subject of contention after claims that it unveils no criminal behaviors were made public.

The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, led by Sheriff P.J. Tanner had requested for this audit previously in July. In response, Tanner explicitly stated that the determination of any criminal activities is a sole responsibility of law enforcement authorities and not the county administration. Therefore, according to Tanner, his office should have unredacted access to the audit report and all related documents.

County Administration Denies Audit Request

County Administrator Michael Moore, however, argued that the audit report was protected under the attorney-client privilege. Consequently, the County Council, having not given up on this privilege, declined the request of the Sheriff’s Office for the audit report.

The latest development reveals an upcoming agenda slated for the County Council meeting scheduled for August 26. The Council may review the decision and debate on releasing the audit to county and local law enforcement. According to Moore, “Council has the authority to turn the report and supporting documentation over to law enforcement,” but this would require an affirmative vote from council members to be implemented.

Public Pressure Influences Council’s Stance

A shift was observed in the response of the county after mounting pressure from the public and some Council members to release the audit. Councilmember David Bartholomew echoed a similar sentiment, suggesting that the right thing was to release the audit and he anticipated this might come to pass following the Council vote.

Negotiations on providing the audit report to the public seems to be stalled at this point. However, if law enforcement receives this audit, it could potentially block its public release until the completion of any active investigations.

An Overview of the Audit Saga

The spending audit story traces back to July 2023 after the County Council ordered an investigation into the county’s procurement and purchasing card activities. This decision followed the dismissal of former County Administrator Eric Greenway, who faced allegations of misconduct. The council hired Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd law firm to execute the audit in August 2023, with an authorization of approximately $350,000 for the exercise.

The detailed findings of the audit were not fully disclosed. A brief and undetailed summary was provided in March by a representative from Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd. It was after this brief that the full audit was availed to the council in June but under strict conditions, where council members had to review the hard copy within the county offices.

In July, a six-page report by the council outlined steps to implement tighter spending controls, but it revealed little information about the audit findings.

Spectrum of Investigations Broadens while Cooperation Dwindles

Following the county’s denial of Sheriff Tanner’s request for the audit, a series of letters exchanged between Tanner and 14th Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone revealed the rising tensions per looming investigations. Both offices expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of cooperation from the Beaufort County administration.

Stone made public a situation where a county attorney had persuaded an employee not to cooperate in the ongoing investigations. In response to these roadblocks, Stone requested Attorney General Alan Wilson to impanel a grand jury to compel testimonies. Attorney Wilson took over all prosecutorial actions related to the case in December 2023.

Will the Sheriff finally get the audit? The awaited decision is expected to be made in the upcoming County Council meeting. Assuming positive results, Tanner promises to extend copies of the audit to the solicitor’s office, the State Law Enforcement Division, and the attorney general.