It’s been well over a year since FITS began exposing the bizarre underworld of rural South Carolina politics in Cheraw, S.C. In fact, it’s been nearly sixteen months since we published the first article in a series of stories that delved into the various machinations of former Solicitor Jay Hodge, whose alleged seediness with public funds has turned the “Prettiest Town in Dixie” (population: 5,500) completely upside down.
And in Chesterfield County, drama like that can turn violent “real quick like …”
Seriously … this town is just begging for its own reality TV show, people. Unless of course you think gays, rednecks, guns and corruption isn’t a recipe for ratings.
Anyway, since we began reporting on the Hodge scandal, our website has become something of a local listening post for Cheraw residents – many of whom log onto FITS every day to post anonymous comments related to the protagonists in this ongoing drama.
In fact, our latest post on Cheraw has received a whopping 414 comments, which is pretty impressive considering that we weren’t even sure the internet had made its way to this particular corner of the Pee Dee yet.
Recently, it has been suggested by some of these commenters that FITS has been hacked, or that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was secretly tracking the originating IP addresses of people who comment on the site.
“This has spilled over into the real world were threats have been made against people,” one commenter noted recently.
As we continue our efforts to investigate corruption and provide a forum for Cheraw residents to voice their opinions on their town and its “leaders,” we wanted to take this opportunity to address a few of these rumors.
First, we do not doubt that threats have been made related to material posted on this website. In fact, the issuance of threats against people for sharing information related to the Hodge scandal has been ongoing – both on and off the website.
Having said that, no one has hacked FITS. We employ a variety of security (and legal) measures to ensure that people are free to post their opinions anonymously, and we do not reveal any confidential IP information to anyone under any circumstances. Second, our friends at the FBI (yes, we actually have a few of those) assure us that our website is not being monitored by the agency.
Frankly, we think these rumors about hacking and FBI monitoring have been ginned up by people who are seeking to suppress free speech on this website – which wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened (and probably won’t be the last).
Obviously, our legal team will look closely at any complaints made about specific comments (on this or any other post), but our default setting is generally to permit the marketplace of ideas to do its job.
After all, the truth has a way of rising to the top … in Corruptville, S.C. and beyond.
By E Pluribus Frustration September 2, 2010 at 1:59 pm
Fits:
Thanks for settng the record straight about tracing IP addresses. The “ENTITLED” and “THE ELECT” of this corrupt county would like nothing better than to keep the good citizens of this corrupt county quite. The issues, that are discussed in these blogs, have been known for years. As probably noted from the blogs since the first story posted last year, this county is in a self destruct mode and about to implode. This self destruct mode is being fueled by the same ones that have pointed their crooked finger at their crooked peers and associates. There are people that are now blogging just to attack each other. This further tears down the unity. If the truth be known, some of the bloggers are probably the “ENTITLED” doing their part to further decay the community. I know this will not happen, but it would not surprise me if a lot of decent people just decided to leave and let this county end up in the septic tank in which it is now headed.
By eggaday September 2, 2010 at 2:24 pm
Columbia is the root of all evil
By JUST ME September 2, 2010 at 4:47 pm
The crooked, pedophilic former solicitor must be loving all this commotion because it diverts attention away from him. Bet he’s feeling pretty confident he will escape all accountability for his wrongs. Same old same old – not much changes ’round these parts.
By TJ September 2, 2010 at 8:57 pm
The real story is over here http://www.fitsnews.com/2010/03/23/whats-up-in-cheraw-sc/
By countryboy September 3, 2010 at 10:58 am
Sooner or later two topics need to be discussed in Chesterfield County (and something done about them):
1) Illegal reselling of prescription drugs is rampant. Why is nothing being done about it?
2) Drug busts (for non-prescription drugs) are made weekly, sometimes involving a dozen or more. However, they are usually black and always the small sellers and users. That’s well and good. If they are drug users or dealers they need to be arrested but why are there NEVER EVER arrests made of people who are importing the drugs into the county and supplying these little fish? Can these little fish not be persuaded to divulge the names of “bigger fish”? Is anyone in law enforcement even trying to work their way up the food chain ? People, the little fish aren’t getting these drugs from a drug fairy.
By eb September 5, 2010 at 10:31 pm
Where I live in Chesterfield County, all the drug dealers wear name tags to keep from wasting time, trying to sell to one another.
By Vic September 7, 2010 at 4:22 pm
Tell me something I don’t know.
I will say I think that’s me on the bike. :)
It’s rural politics at it’s finest.
By not ok September 8, 2010 at 1:43 pm
Rumor has it the former solicitor used to take trips to foreign countries where he could legally sodomize little boys. Supposedly, some of his pd friends went with him. Wonder who they are and if they would talk?
By Sad, Sad, Sad September 8, 2010 at 11:39 pm
No, if the above were true, they won’t talk & probably will never answer for anything. They’re too smooth, know how to cover their tracks too well.
Prime example, or latest one: 1 solicitor employer & former sol empl. get into spat downtown, law is called, traffic stopped, did either go to jail? If they did, did they stay long at all? No.
Same old, same old…
to the above, selling of rx drugs, drugs in general, is a big problem in this area but not the biggest. think about who would be the top fish. the informant system may very well be one of the biggest probs in this area, along w/ child abuse, a corrupt to the core political arena, unemployment cause businesses won’t come here, etc.
By countryboy September 9, 2010 at 7:52 am
And now former mayor, little fat Andy Ingram, is soliciting huge donations from industry for She-heen. Is he stupid or what? BTW, rumor is fat Andy wants to run again.
By Cheraw Resident September 9, 2010 at 8:47 am
Cheraw would do well to re-elect Ingram. Since the reigns were handed over to the current caretakers, we’ve done nothing but go downhill, financially and morally. Guess who’s been at the center of it? You guessed it.. the puppet master.
By Lera September 9, 2010 at 11:20 am
Honestly–how is Cheraw any different than any other town in SC??
By Sad, Sad, Sad September 9, 2010 at 12:10 pm
How are we different? I don’t see Florence as corrupt as here in Chesterfield County. Sure all towns have some level of corrup. but ours is off the chain. It’s 1 thing after another. Animal shelter, police dept, solicitor off., school issues, & the real prob is it keeps getting worse, no end in sight.
FITS has reported in depth on this area for a reason. Thanks, Folks & Mace. Keep illuminating the issues around here.
By eye spy September 10, 2010 at 9:21 am
Lera, just a few examples. Police dept involved in stolen vehicle/chop shop ring, drugs (not uncommon) system protected by the ex-solicitor who has the control to make things disappear while misappropriating funds from several agencies that were at his discretion not to mention that the ex-director of SLED was a Cheraw native and friend to those involved that chose not to investigate. The list just goes on and on but then again I guess it does seem like any other little SC town!!
By eye spy September 10, 2010 at 9:27 am
Regarding former solicitor and his European vacations. I have friends that have traveled with him but he is much smarter than that. He sets his own agenda and stays to himself while the group goes about the site seeing. Remember, he’s a professional, years of experience learning the trade way back from his days as a Boy Scout leader before they took it away from him. Wonder how that came about?
By Markus September 10, 2010 at 12:42 pm
You know what, you people keep posting about police corruption, crooked solicitor, blah, blah, blah. How bout put some damn spice on this sh*t and give us some examples or shut the hell up. I for one ain’t in love with hodge, vick, brooks, thomas, taylor, finch, rogers, rivers and any of them sh*ts, but damn, if you going to take the time to type on here, at least give us some specific details.
By bernie woodward September 14, 2010 at 6:23 am
Lets look at these again shall we? Since he wants to throw garbage at everyone else. Almost time for me to go, my shift ends in 40 more minutes! Yay! Enjoy!
http://www.scattorneygeneral.org/securities/orders/Michael.Clifton.Rodney.Consent.pdf
http://www.scattorneygeneral.org/securities/orders/Michael,%20Clifton%20Rodney%20and%20R&M%20Loans,%20Inc.C&D.pdf
http://www.scsos.com/index.asp?n=18&p=4&s=18&corporateid=58586
http://www.scsos.com/index.asp?n=18&p=4&s=18&corporateid=160293
By Sad, Sad, Sad September 19, 2010 at 8:46 am
I see its the same old same old. Practically no real information. I understand what the family mentioned above did was wrong but WHAT ABOUT THE ORIGINAL ISSUE, MM, allegations of sexual abuse by former politico, etc.
Can kinda understand I suppose, maybe if there is an investigation it’ll take awhile, perhaps need to sit back, let FBI do their jobs.
Really bothered that former sol. employee & current one can have a public run-in, get traffic stopped, but not go to jail, just pay out of it like they do everythng else. Anyone else would’ve gone to jail, probably couldn’t pay out. Kudo to The Link for reporting what other paper won’t.
By NoUDidn't October 21, 2010 at 9:35 am
Cheraw has another black eye. Wouldn’t it be great if we could read the news with out any kind of local corruption just once?! This from the Chronicle, I guess Creighton Bell missed the scoop on this one must have been busy doing something silly so Wiley “Coyote” Bell would have some material.
Any hoo
CHERAW — Fourteen men and women
from Chesterfield County and Monroe,
N.C., have filed suit against a Cheraw
businessman they claim bilked them out
of more than a $1 million.
At the top of the lawsuit filed Oct. 12 is
Rodney Michael, owner of R & M Loan
Services and RM Financial Services, a
lending company under scrutiny by the
state.
The lawsuit also names other companies
and family members as co-defendants,
such as Michael & Associates and
United County Real Estate.
The group is suing for at least a $1 million
in damages plus attorney fees. The
plaintiffs in the case are asking for a trial
by jury
By cheraw teabagger November 4, 2010 at 12:02 am
We just have to deal with the fallout of Dem’s losing their power. Wonder what Hodge will do now? Many issues seem to be undercover here in our community.
By Harry Walker August 30, 2011 at 4:59 pm
VOTE IN THIS ONLINE POLL! MAYOR OF CHERAW 2011
http://www.wepolls.com/p/2089223/Mayor-of-Cheraw-election-in-2011