{"id":20,"date":"2026-05-18T15:08:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T15:08:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=20"},"modified":"2026-05-18T15:08:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T15:08:16","slug":"mismanagement-by-loftis-office-could-have-cost-sc-taxpayers-state-watchdog-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=20","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Mismanagement\u2019 by Loftis\u2019 office could have cost SC taxpayers, state watchdog finds"},"content":{"rendered":"<article><!-- --><!-- --><!-- WPS-5038 -- removed the script from WPS and added the placeholder for trinity player --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- CONTENT --><!--[--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>South Carolina treasurer Curtis Loftis enabled a questionable state Election Commission purchase of ballot scanners, resulting in a \u201cmismanagement\u201d of a state financing program, a state inspector general investigation found.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=18\">Dirt bikes crash head-on, leaving one rider dead and another hurt, SC cops say<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Whether the treasurer\u2019s office committed any misconduct is not for the Inspector General to determine the report said.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Inspector General Brian Lamkin said he sent the report to South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the FBI. A SLED spokesperson said they received the report and were reviewing it.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>State Sen. Larry Grooms requested the report last year to continue investigations into the embattled treasurer, who the Senate voted to oust in 2025 after a $1.8 billion accounting error came to light. The report took longer than expected, Grooms said, because the inspector general found issues with how the office handled its master lease program.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The detailed 42-page report found just before the 2024 general elections Loftis helped the state Election Commission purchase $28.8 million voting machines using the master lease program.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The treasurer\u2019s office did so without confirming the Election Commission had the money to pay off loans used to purchase the machines, according to the report.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe did so knowing that the Election Commission would be unable to make the lease payments,\u201d Grooms said. Grooms has also been critical of the necessity of the new ballot scanners, saying the state \u201cwasted\u201d more than $30 million on the purchase.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Loftis denies that he didn\u2019t do his due diligence in executing the master lease program, blaming Election Commission staff. The machines were purchased by former executive director Howard Knapp, who has since been fired, arrested, and charged on several counts, including misconduct in office, embezzlement of public funds and use of office for financial gain.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe STO\u2019s master lease program did not cause or contribute to the missteps of the State Election Commission related to the acquisition and management of its voting machines,\u201d Loftis wrote in a statement. \u201cThe Election Commission and its former staff are under investigation based on numerous allegations of wrongdoing and criminal activity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The Election Commission\u2019s failure to pay back a loan on time for the ballot scanners was first revealed in October 2025. The agency owed TD Bank roughly $33 million in loans, interest and sales tax for the ballot scanners. About a third of the payment was due in September 2025 as state funding to make a payment on the purchase wasn\u2019t given to the Election Commission until February 2026.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The late payment could have cost the state more than $5 million in late fees, which would also not have been available to the Election Commission on time, leading to an \u201cendless debt cycle,\u201d according to the report.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis exposed taxpayers to millions in avoidable liquidated damages and violated the STO\u2019s core obligation to faithfully discharge official duties and protect the state\u2019s fiscal interests,\u201d the report read.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=16\">SC\u2019s McMaster denies quid pro quo in calling special session to allow redistricting<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>But former interim executive director Jenny Wooten negotiated a deal with the bank to pay late at the advice of Loftis. The late payment still cost the state just under $140,000, according to Inspector General\u2019s the report.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen that problem surfaced, my office stepped in to help prevent penalties and protect taxpayers,\u201d Loftis said.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The instance of \u201cmismanagement\u201d was referred to the governor\u2019s office.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The investigation also found Loftis was not adhering to some reporting requirements, and questioned how the treasurer\u2019s office spends money allocated to it by the General Assembly. Loftis denied the allegations in a statement.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cReporting requirements that are spelled out of statute are continuing to be violated, and they have been violated, and that\u2019s what led to the $1.8 billion in errors, not being able to check fund balances and reconcile things,\u201d Grooms said on the floor Thursday.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Loftis also objected Thursday to how the inspector general\u2019s office characterized the requirement of reporting the state\u2019s bank balances and insisted the state\u2019s law on financial reporting need to be updated.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt highlights outdated statutes written for a very different era of government finance, long before modern banking systems and statewide accounting platforms existed,\u201d Loftis said.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Loftis had been embroiled for two years in a controversy over a mysterious $1.8 billion account listing on the state\u2019s books that was not assigned to any particular agency or use.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The controversy led to a two-year long investigation by members of the state Senate Finance Committee. Outside auditors eventually determined the money never existed. The state\u2019s finances are under a Security and Exchange Commission investigation over the accounting issues.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Loftis denied wrongdoing during the Senate investigation and pointed the finger at the previous Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom, who resigned in 2023 after he inflated the state\u2019s cash balances by $3.5 billion over the course of 10 years.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The Senate last year voted to oust Loftis from office, but the House did not take up the resolution to remove the treasurer.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=14\">Swimmer \u2018yelling for help\u2019 was being pushed by wind towards dam, NC rescuers say<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--]--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Inspector general forwarded its review to SLED and U.S. District Attorney Bryan Stirling after a $1.8 billion accounting error linked to the South Carolina treasurer\u2019s office.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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