BLYTHEWOOD – A week after presenting a $10,000 donation on behalf of the Town from the general fund to the Richland County Sheriff’s office, an initiative that he said was his idea, Blythewood Mayor Sloan Griffin is now requesting that Sheriff Leon Lott investigate members of town council.
That call for investigation comes on the heels of an email Mayor Pro Tem Donald Brock sent to Griffin the previous day (Sept. 1), asking for an item to be placed on the agenda of a workshop to be held Monday, Sept. 8 for the purpose of discussing the Manor’s fee structure.
The requested agenda item, Brock wrote, would initiate discussion of a third-party investigation of the finances and operations of the Manor as well as an evaluation of the financial operations, the segregation of duties and various other operational activities at Town Hall.
Referencing the recent discussions among members of council and multiple reports via the media concerning comps up to $4,500 for Manor events, Brock asked Griffin in the Sept. 1 email to, “place the item on next Monday’s agenda so that we can have a discussion with someone who can advise us on the ways to go about conducting this investigation.”
Brock said he has spoken with the town attorney about bringing in a forensic accountant (or similarly qualified professional) for the Monday workshop.
In reference to scheduling and payment issues for events at the Manor, Brock wrote in his email that, “It’s imperative that we get to the bottom of everything and determine what actually happened and how to deal with it.”
Griffin has said publicly that he has no access to the Manor scheduling documents, but sources have reported that Griffin has – without consulting council – recently brought in unknown volunteers to gather information from the Manor documents and provide that information to him (Griffin). It is not known what the volunteers were looking for or what their authority and expertise were in doing so.
In an Aug. 27 email from Councilman Rich McKenrick to the mayor that was obtained by The Voice, McKenrick asked Griffin to provide council with the identities of those ‘volunteers.’ McKenrick said Griffin has not replied.
Call to Investigate Council Claims
Following receipt of Brock’s Sept. 1 email, Griffin deflected the next day, issuing a public statement on his Facebook page around 11 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 2, announcing that by 11 a.m., Wednesday, he would formally request that Sheriff Leon Lott and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department conduct an independent investigation into what he claims are, “several criminal and financial claims and allegations made in public by members of town council.
“While some may stem from political disagreements, others, if true, raise serious concerns about compliance with law, policy, and public trust,” Griffin wrote.
“The continued spread of unverified claims harms the integrity of Blythewood and unfairly damages my personal reputation and ability to serve effectively,” he said. “Passing off opinion as fact is irresponsible, unprofessional, and undermines the confidence our residents should have in their government.”
Griffin said he will ask investigators to work directly with each council member to document their concerns, collect evidence, and determine whether the allegations rise to the level of criminal or financial violations.
“I will also provide matters that have been reported directly to my office,” Griffin said.
Griffin said he notified all members of council (via email at 5:34 p.m., Sept. 2) of his request for an investigation.
“Our citizens deserve confidence that their elected officials and staff operate with integrity, professionalism, and accountability,” Griffin wrote. “An independent investigation will separate fact from rumor, restore trust in our community, and put all claims to rest once and for all.”
Media Attorney Jay Bender, who represents members of the SC Press Association including The Voice, said a sheriff would certainly have the authority to investigate crimes alleged to have occurred.
“What the mayor seems to be requesting is that the Richland County Sheriff’s Office investigate political allegations,” Bender said. “If there have been no criminal complaints, any investigation would be for some other purpose than exposing criminal conduct.
“The mayor seems to be suggesting that comments by his political opponents have injured his reputation and that of the town. If the mayor believes his reputation has been damaged by the publication of false statements of fact his remedy is a civil suit not a criminal investigation of his opponents. In a democratic society criticism of a public body or public officials is protected by constitutional considerations.”
