|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The public corruption scandal rocking Williamsburg County, South Carolina deepened this week with the announcement of 16 new criminal charges filed against former county supervisor Tiffany Teonta Cooks.
The latest indictment — handed down by South Carolina’s statewide grand jury — accused Cooks of misappropriating public funds to enrich herself and others, continuing a broader probe that has already ensnared the county’s now-suspended sheriff.
Cooks was first indicted in March 2025 alongside Williamsburg County sheriff Stephen Renard Gardner. She is now facing a total of 21 criminal counts stemming from two separate indictments that allege a multi-year conspiracy to misuse taxpayer dollars, reward political allies and funnel money through sham “community project” payments.
***
RELATED | WILLIAMSBURG SHERIFF, FORMER ADMINISTRATOR INDICTED
***
PERSONAL ENRICHMENT, QUID PRO QUO PAYMENTS
According to the May 8, 2025 indictment, Cooks allegedly orchestrated a scheme in which she awarded thousands of dollars in public funds — far beyond her authorized salary — to herself and county employees under the guise of compensation for community initiatives. Prosecutors say these payments were not only improper but were designed to influence county employees to participate in or look the other way on fraudulent conduct.
The charges against her included:
- Official Misconduct in Office
- Offering Anything of Value to Influence Public Officials
- Felony Embezzlement
- 14 counts of Accepting Rebates or Extra Compensation, a violation of state ethics and public integrity laws.
The indictment alleged that Cooks “obtained personal profit and benefit to herself by having government funds … improperly paid to her,” and that she gave out these unauthorized payments to other officials “with the intent of influencing the discharge of their official duties … and to induce them to perform acts and fail to perform acts in violation of their official duties.”
These fresh charges build on a March indictment that first exposed the alleged corrupt alliance between Cooks and Sheriff Gardner. That filing accused Cooks of secretly funneling government funds to Gardner through a third-party intermediary in order to evade payroll systems and tax reporting requirements.
At the time, both were charged with conspiracy, misconduct in office, ethics violations, embezzlement and money laundering. As a result of the March charges, Gardner was suspended from office by S.C. governor Henry McMaster.
***
The latest indictment suggests the alleged scheme was not isolated or opportunistic — it was systemic. Prosecutors now say Cooks personally benefited from the misused funds and also used them to secure loyalty, cooperation, and silence from those within the county government.
The case is being prosecuted by the statewide grand jury section of the office of S.C. attorney general Alan Wilson. That unit is led by prosecutors Creighton Waters and Savanna Goude – both of whom are well-known for their work in high-profile corruption and white-collar cases.
As with anyone accused of committing any crime, Cooks is considered innocent until proven guilty by our criminal justice system – or until such time as she may wish to enter some form of allocution in connection with a plea agreement with prosecutors related to any of the charges filed against her.
Count on FITSNews to continue following this case closely as more information becomes available…
***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Jenn Wood is FITSNews’ incomparable research director. She’s also the producer of the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts and leading expert on all things Murdaugh/ South Carolina justice. A former private investigator with a criminal justice degree, evildoers beware, Jenn Wood is far from your average journalist! A deep dive researcher with a passion for truth and a heart for victims, this mom of two is pretty much a superhero in FITSNews country. Did we mention she’s married to a rocket scientist? (Lucky guy!) Got a story idea or a tip for Jenn? Email her at jenn@fitsnews.com.
***
WANNA SOUND OFF?
Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to address proactively? We have an open microphone policy! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.
