WINNSBORO – In the wake of last week’s revelation that the State Ethics Commission had issued notices of hearing to three County Council members, Council took no small amount of heat during Monday night’s meeting from one outspoken member of the public.
“Council members who have been accused and charged and will be found guilty by the State Ethics (Commission) should resign immediately,” Jeff Schaffer said during the evening’s second public comment session. “If not for their own self-respect, then do it for us, the public taxpayer of Fairfield County. We elected you to serve us, not yourselves, and it’s obvious that more than a few of you are incapable of performing your duties without making excuses or continuing to back the bus over Mr. Hinely (former County Administrator Phil) time and time again. We would like to see you take responsibility, step up and say, ‘I made a huge error in judgment and I think I should resign for my actions’.”
Last week, the Ethics Commission issued a notice of hearing to Council Chairman David Ferguson (District 5), Councilman Mikel Trapp (District 3) and Councilwoman Mary Lynn Kinley (District 6), outlining four counts against Ferguson, six counts against Kinley and 11 counts against Trapp (see the Feb. 7 edition of The Voice). Trapp, who had previously offered no public statement on his charges, shot back Monday night following Schaffer’s comments.
“As to Mr. Schaffer’s concerns: I notice you didn’t call any names about the (Ethics charges),” Trapp said. “I’m one of those (charged) . . . You said I should resign immediately. (It will) never happen. Beat me at the ballot box in November, because I’m not going to resign.”
When an unidentified member of the audience spoke up, saying, “I think you should resign,” Trapp answered, “Well, you wait and see.”
“I also notice that you left out Mrs. (Carolyn) Robinson (District 2) from your Ethics comments,” Trapp continued. “Is that because she’s a member of your Tea Party group? She got the same paperwork I got.”
At that point, Schaffer asked Ferguson if he could respond.
“You may not,” Ferguson answered, at which time another unidentified member of the audience spoke out: “So we just get to listen?”
“You get to listen,” Trapp answered. “You can talk to Mrs. Robinson, since she started this whole group (Saving Fairfield) from District 2, all her neighbors, started this whole mess. But if you’re waiting on me to resign, it’ll be a cold day in you-know-where.”
At press time, The Voice could not confirm additional notices of hearings handed down to any of the other Council members.
Trapp, according to the Ethics Commission, allegedly violated Section 8-13-700(A) of the S.C. Code of Laws “by knowingly using his official office to obtain an economic interest for himself by vacationing in county funded lodging following the conclusion of the S.C. Association of Counties’ summer conference” on Hilton Head Island in July of 2010, 2011 and 2013. The Ethics Commission said Trapp also failed to disclose payments made by the County to him in lieu of health benefits on his Statement of Economic Interest forms in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
In addition, Trapp is accused of “knowingly using his official office to obtain an economic interest for a family member when he voted to allocate” funds “to his sister-in-law’s employer, CIC, Inc.” Trapp’s notice of hearing states that the “votes” came on July 1, 2011; July 7, 2011; July 10, 2012; and July 15, 2013. The amounts allegedly allocated were: $2,500 on July 1, 2011; $1,234 on July 7, 2012; $3,500 on July 10, 2012; and $2,500 on July 15, 2013.
A review of minutes on the Fairfield County Web site turns up no votes by Council on any matter related to CIC, Inc., and that no meetings were held on July 1, 2011; July 7, 2011; or July 10, 2012. Council did hold a special meeting on July 15, 2013, but only to debate recreation funding. The Ethics Commission clarified this week that those dates reflect when the checks were cut to CIC, Inc., not when the votes were taken to allocate the funds. The Ethics Commission said they did not know when the votes to distribute the funds were held.
Monday night, Trapp confirmed that the payments were made to Community Improvement, Inc., a 501(c)3 registered with the S.C Secretary of State’s office that, through donations, provides schools supplies to underprivileged children. Trapp said his sister-in-law serves on the CIC, Inc. Board of Directors. The funds were disbursed from Trapp’s discretionary fund, he said.
“I’ve been giving to (them) since 2008,” Trapp said. “Starting in 2008, I had to turn in all the board members’ names to Mr. Hinely, and Hinely called the Ethics Commission to confirm it was (OK) for me to give to them.”
Last week, the Ethics Commission said that sisters-in-law were added in 2010 to the list of family members for whom public officials are prohibited from using their office to obtain an economic interest. That Trapp’s sister-in-law is not an owner of CIC “is a distinction we’re going to have to look at with Mr. Trapp,” the Ethics Commission said.
Milton Pope, interim County Administrator, said that each Council member has $3,500 in their annual discretionary fund. However, Trapp’s disbursement of $2,500 on July 1, 2011 and another $1,234 on July 7, 2011, exceeds the $3,500 threshold by $234. Pope said it was possible the 2011 disbursements shown in the Ethics Commission documents represent an overlap of fiscal years, but that he would have to review the corresponding documents to confirm that possibility. As of press time, that confirmation had not been made. Monday night, Trapp said he could not remember the details of the 2011 payments to CIC, Inc.
WAKE UP! This is Chicago style pay for play patronage politics pure and simple. It has got to stop, it is time for these folks (Council) to get out of the way and let the Citizens of Fairfield start with a clean slate.