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by WILL FOLKS
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South Carolina’s election commission (SCVotes) has tapped a new leader to guide the agency in the aftermath of a spate of scandals surrounding its former executive director.
Last week, the agency’s board voted unanimously to appoint interim director Jenny Wooten as its next executive director – an endorsement of her steady leadership during one of the most turbulent transition periods in the agency’s history.
As FITSNews previously reported, Wooten and SCVotes’ chairman Dennis Shedd have been working overtime to restore public faith in this agency – which was put through the proverbial ringer by its former director, Howie Knapp, and his top deputy, Paige Salonich.
Knapp was fired from his post on September 17, 2024 by a 3-2 vote of the commission. Salonich was fired the following day, according to agency records obtained by FITSNews under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
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Knapp and Salonich have both been criminally charged in connection with multiple ongoing investigations into their conduct at SCVotes – investigations which have generated allegations of questionable contracts, wasted taxpayer resources, a torrid workplace affair and attempted criminal wiretapping of commission members.
Several of those investigations are active and ongoing, with additional charges possible.
“Things have happened here in a way that weren’t transparent,” Shedd said during a recent commission meeting, referring specifically to a controversial voting machine deal advanced by Knapp during his tenure.
Wooten has been credited with leading SCVotes’ internal investigation of Knapp and Salonich – and working with Shedd and other commissioners to untangle the mess they left behind.
Wooten has an impressive résumé including stints in the S.C. lieutenant governor’s office, attorney general’s office and state treasurer’s office (where she oversaw the daily operations of the Future Scholar 529 program). She has also worked in her community, serving as an outreach and communications liaison for Serve & Connect – a nonprofit which works to foster better relationships between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve.
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RELATED | FORMER SCVOTES LEADER ARRESTED
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“Ensuring the impartiality, accessibility, and integrity of South Carolina’s elections is essential to maintaining public faith in our democracy,” Wooten said in a statement accompanying her selection. “I’m grateful to the commission for the trust they have placed in me as our agency strives to uphold that mission.”
Wooten’s post will require her to be confirmed by the S.C. Senate, a process which will likely begin once lawmakers reconvene in Columbia, S.C. next month. Her salary – which has yet to be determined – will be recommended by the commission and approved by the agency head salary commission, a division of the S.C. Fiscal Accountability Authority (SFAA).
Count on FITSNews to keep our audience apprised of any new developments in the ongoing investigation into Knapp and Salonich…
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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