Pickens County: “No finding of criminal wrongdoing”

Pickens County has been informed by the State Law Enforcement Division that an inquiry into finances at the Pickens County Museum has concluded with no finding of criminal wrongdoing. On October 21, 2016, SLED Lt. Pete Logan, the agent in charge of the investigation, informed County Attorney Ken Roper of the end of the investigation and the lack of negative findings against the County. The allegations that led to the SLED probe came about after a Pickens County Cultural Commission member came forward with concerns about the finances at the Museum. The County fully cooperated with the SLED inquiry from the outset, confident that these allegations were not founded. The conclusion of the investigation supports the County’s understanding of the matter. Since the inquiry began, County Administrator Gerald Wilson met with the Cultural Commission to reiterate the County’s commitment to the Museum and to support the Commission in its fundraising and event promotion roles. Wilson believes that better communication between County staff, Commission members, and volunteers could have avoided the misunderstanding from the outset. Additionally, Pickens County continues to work to make local government more transparent. As a proactive response to the matter, and to avoid confusion with the public going forward, Pickens County has begun the process of establishing separate 501(c)(3) organizations to support the Museum and the Hagood Mill. The previous system of donations, established in large part by the former Museum Director, was confusing and led to misunderstandings between many of the volunteers and county officials. As an additional safeguard, the County has discussed its proposal with the Secretary of State’s office, the state agency responsible for overseeing charitable donations. County Attorney Ken Roper has received a positive response from the Secretary of State’s legal counsel on the County’s proposed path forward.