South Carolina can’t seem to go a single day without some new government scandal rearing its ugly head …
Today’s particularly flagrant violation of the public trust comes your way from Union County, S.C., where the longtime county supervisor, Donnie Betenbaugh, and four other government employees have been indicted on dozens of corruption charges stemming from a year-long federal investigation.
Bribes, kickbacks, drug-running, use of public funds for private purposes (like swimming pools), obstruction of justice … this story literally has it all.
From the Spartanburg Herald-Journal:
An ongoing federal investigation into corruption in Union County has resulted in the arrest of five more men — including the county supervisor and the former sheriff — on charges ranging from witness tampering to drug distribution …
… (Donnie) Betenbaugh — who is accused of using county credit cards to buy thousands of dollars worth of personal items, including items for his swimming pool — stopped the practice after learning he was being investigated by state and federal officers, his indictment states …
… the county supervisor also is accused of removing and destroying records relevant to the ongoing investigation.
That’s not all …
The County Tax Assessor, Willie Randall, Jr., is accused of using his office as a “stash house” for the distribution of cocaine and hyrdocodone – with Betenbaugh’s knowledge. Betenbaugh is even accused of bribing potential witnesses against him with “drugs and money,” the Herald-Journal report notes.
Former Union Sheriff Howard Wells – who became a national celebrity during the Susan Smith saga in 1994 – was also indicted in the probe. He is charged with lying to federal investigators and tampering with witnesses.
In February of this year, former Union Mayor Bruce Morgan was sentenced to six years for his role in a corruption scandal. Apparently, that investigation prompted the feds to dig deeper and uncover this larger racket.
Amazing.
As we’ve seen in Anderson County and other rural areas of the state, municipal governments in South Carolina are out of control.
By OnNoNotAgain October 6, 2009 at 12:31 pm
What was the most corrupt town/county in South Carolina on Sunday?
Because Union and Union County locked themselves firmly in the top spot after these indictments.
And Wells? WOW.
By Jonny D October 6, 2009 at 12:34 pm
That’s funny Fits, you went all the way to DC to repeatedly and publicly scream about your desperate need for an “eight ball”, when everything you needed was right there in Anderson County all along!
By Jonny D October 6, 2009 at 12:39 pm
ok, ok Union County (even the great ones slip once in a while), and while you might not be able to get you some cocaine in Anderson County, I do hear that they play a mean banjo!
By Laura Campbell October 6, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Thank you for this, FITS! Perhaps there’s hope for Chesterfield County after all, regarding the federal investigation here.
Thank you again FITS, Thank You Investigators, and Thank You Lady Justice!
By No Suprise in Union October 6, 2009 at 12:45 pm
I used to live in Union and know all that have been indited…all on first name basis. I’m not surprised. Not by those involved or by what was going on.
There should be more to come.
By John October 6, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Half the counties in the state are as bad. Believe me, I know. This state is a bed of God loving politicians…all stealing the public blind.
By No Name October 6, 2009 at 1:40 pm
First the real criminals are the Democratic lawyers in Spartanburg that handle all the transactions and money laundering….why….well no Union thug would trust anyone else in Union with the payoffs and stealing.
Get the SCDC donor list and connect the dots.
Now I am not sure why this happened…but it is always difficult to get a refund for political protection money….unless a smart prosecutor deals for more names and that would lead to Gaffney and then Columbia.
There ought to be a toll booth at the I-26 Union exits for all the drug traffic cars that head deep into the Union County woods to unload and process…again old news……..how many of you deer and turkey hunters have run into some very modern and smelly shacks while tramping through those woods.
How long will Obama allow Walt Wilkins to simmer down there and pursue these threads or is Obama allowing him to stay as long as he shows the Republicrats in County government to be the crooks they always are.
By EX-RESIDENT October 6, 2009 at 3:52 pm
This has really been a surprise to me. But with all that has been going on in Union…I would NOT be surprised if more people were introduced to this scandal. I understand we’re in a recession, but is it that serious and bad to where you commit all of the above crimes?
By baker October 6, 2009 at 4:22 pm
I was pretty shocked by all this. Sorry to hear it, too.
By Mab October 6, 2009 at 5:02 pm
EX-RESIDENT said:
“I understand we’re in a recession, but is it that serious and bad to where you commit all of the above crimes?”
No — goings on in Lexington Cty bridge the gap betwixt good times and bad.
By countryboy October 6, 2009 at 7:31 pm
Yet nothing is being done about the corruption in Chesterfield County…
By walter david October 6, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Come on No Name, spill some names. You’ve used a broad brush.
By BIN News Editorial Staff October 6, 2009 at 8:19 pm
Great job picking this up from responsible media sources that were running stories on it days ago. Now, get back to some important investigating.
You know?! Like exposing the Midlands’ elected official you claim has a Strom problem. Why have you gone totally silent on this subject?
You promised and promised details and facts.
BTW, did you attend this?
http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11264164
Just wondering.
BIN News
Flair and Balanced
By old bike dude October 6, 2009 at 10:47 pm
Or come on down to Beaufort county where a murderer turns himself in due to the mountain of evidence and the crowd of witnesses but with our glorious sheriff investigating and his wife as prosecutor, well… the murderer walked. Yep he was found not guilty by a jury. No Johnny Cochran or Barry Scheck. Just a public defender too dumbfounded by the verdict to even make a statement. Sheriff says we must move forward but the 22 yr old dead sailor don’t quite see it that way.
By Calhoun Fawls October 7, 2009 at 12:32 am
Damn it, Howard, what the Hell where you thinking?
By Laura Campbell October 8, 2009 at 1:08 am
Speaking of scandals, my bet is FITS will be dealing with one hell of a scandal concerning Mande’s article, “The Swayze-Polanski Parallel”.
It’s a comparative “essay” on Swayze’s “Dirty Dancing” character and Polanski . What can possibly be inferred from the article is that Swayze’s character should be considered a pedophile if Polanski is considered one.
Run for cover, FITS. There will be great fallout over this one.
By even allowing such an assinine, disturbing article to be posted here will cost you a great deal of credibility. However, people should know the point-of-view exists. Parents reading this article are going to be outraged. Responses to the article are full of outrage and disbelief.
God forgive me, I interpretted it as an attempt to address the fact that the varying differences between pedophiles & and what age a victim is should not block justice in such matters, as well as inferring it was addressing the fact that in movies and Hollywood, pedophilia is often viewed as somewhat of an insignificant crime.
Gotta call y’all out on this one big time, FITS. Wonder what victims of child sex crime reading the damned article are thinking?
By Boo April 22, 2010 at 11:37 pm
I’m actually from Union. What they don’t tell you in this particular article is that Betenbaugh and the rest faced maximum sentences of over 100 years apiece, with Betenbaugh in the lead with a maximum sentence of 618 years. Honestly, I can say for a fact that they have just started scratching the surface. The whole county is…well…full of things like this: Snoop Dogg’s grandmother lived here before she passed away. He would sit on her porch when he visited and smoke weed in full view of the public. The local police would come up, ask for an autograph, and leave. True story. No kidding. That’s just the beginning, too…