In assessing the seemingly endless corruption that exists in Richland County, in the South Carolina government, we thought that we had seen everything.
The first was the rigged election seven years ago that robbed county taxpayers of more than $ 1 billion.
Then came misappropriation and mismanagement of funds approved through this fraudulent election.
Then came the growing deficits resulting from the misappropriation and mismanagement of these funds.
And, predictably, there has been all sorts of supposed grafting by individual board members (current and former) … leading to several calls for investigations.
This means of communication and others – such as The state (Columbia, SC) newspaper – I’ve been trying to get to the bottom of this mess. So far, our efforts have been trained in an attempt to obtain documents related to the scandal.
Including documents that the county refuses to disclose …
In our last report, we mentioned a secret audit of the controversial income tax program (which was approved through the fraudulent election of 2012). The city council paid for this audit with public funds – but refuses to disclose it to the public.
It turns out that there is a good reason for that … the audit does not exist.
(Click to view)
(Via: Richland County SC)
According to an email exchange between Richland County counselor Jim Manning and county attorney Larry Smith, the document sought by the media – as well as by state and federal investigators – “was never reduced to writing”.
Wait … what?
In the e-mail exchange (a copy of which was obtained by this means), Manning wrote to Smith earlier this month asking for a copy of the audit. In addition, he asked her to deliver the document to the attorney general of South Carolina Alan Wilson and US Attorney Sherri Lydon as part of your research efforts.
Smith’s response to this request was … splendid.
“I am not familiar with a forensic audit that may have been sent to (Wilson) or (Lydon),” he wrote. “Maybe, what you might (sic) referring to is what was characterized by our auditors as a discovery of internal review and investigative services that were carried out with respect to county finances. “
Ummm … ok.
“As for that information,” continued Smith, “it was never written down in the form of a report and delivered to the county. The information was provided to the board in the form of a briefing, by our auditors, during our retreat in Myrtle Beach several years ago. “
Wow …
In other words … nobody dared to write any of this.
Don’t you believe us? Take a look …
(Click to view)
(Via: Provided)
Unreal. This seems to us much worse than failing to comply with the state’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Perhaps even worse than destroying a public document in the hope of covering up a scandal.
No, this is a new level of corruption …
Unperturbed by this boldness, Manning responded to Smith’s admission by asking whether the verbal and unwritten briefing he quoted in his email released board members from “any possible financial wrongdoing in Richland County and such?
And such …
Here was Smith’s answer to that question …
I do not remember all the issues raised in the () internal review. Therefore, I am not prepared to say, based on my recollections, that the individual board members were “released”. However, based on the nature of the issues they discussed; in my opinion, questions were raised as to whether the board, as an agency, was fulfilling its supervisory and fiduciary responsibilities.
Huh?
So, he does not remember and is not prepared to say, but maybe … speaking in general … collectively, yes, there were some questions.
In his opinion.
Seriously … this is a joke? It’s not refreshing the memories exactly why should these things be written?
Especially when tax money is appropriated in an effort to determine how other tax money has been wasted?
Unbelievable …
“We believe it is quite clear that we are reviewing credible allegations of serious offenses involving current and former members (and employees) of Richland County Council,” we wrote last month. “Furthermore, it seems to us that efforts have been made to conceal various crimes.”
Apparently, these efforts go much deeper than we could imagine …
Wilson and Lydon must immediately open a joint investigation in Richland County to determine how much public money was misused, who profited from the embezzlement and who conspired to cover it up.
No more hiding … it’s time for taxpayers to start getting some answers for a change.
-FITSNews
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