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When South Congaree Police Chief Carl “CJ” Quinlan sat down for an extended conversation with FITSNews on Monday, he didn’t know he had already been fired.
Not even 90 days into his tenure, Quinlan believed he was on mental health recovery leave, a break he said he needed after town administrator Crystal Bouknight turned his department into what he described as a “hostile workplace environment.”
The town, however, disputes that characterization.
Spokesperson Ashley Hunter says Quinlan was never formally placed on medical leave, noting that doing so would have required a signed certification from a qualifying medical provider and written approval from the town. Neither, she says, was done in this instance.
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FROM BADGE TO LOCKOUT…
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During his brief tenure leading the South Congaree Police Department (SCPD), Quinlan says he spent much of that time uncovering and attempting to address alleged criminal conduct inside both his department and the town hall separated from it by a wall.
In that time, he says he launched a “criminal” internal affairs investigation into his former lieutenant, James Marchant, and requested that the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) investigate a range of alleged misconduct within the aforementioned walls of town hall.
At the time of this writing, a SLED spokesperson had not confirmed whether an investigation had been opened at Quinlan’s request.
“The citizens of South Congaree should most definitely be concerned,” Quinlan said during an off-duty sit-down at his Orangeburg County home. “And I’ll be damned if I don’t bring to light the things that have occurred in a very, very short amount of time since I’ve been the chief.”
Among his allegations: at least seven misappropriated police badges purchased at $208 apiece, a broken chain of custody in the evidence room, the mishandling of a firearm tied to an active criminal case, and what he describes as lax oversight of asset forfeiture funds, including at least $40,000 later discovered in a holding account.
He also claims “hundreds” of blank checks tied to dormant town accounts were found inside a metal cabinet in the front office of town hall.
“Those checks are now sitting in a safe next to my desk,” Quinlan said. “On a to-do list that will likely never get done now.”
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In the wake of these discoveries, and his subsequent attempts to address them, Quinlan says “everything changed” between him and Bouknight. That change, he alleges, culminated in the town administrator locking him out of his own police department, his operational systems and investigative tools, and his official government email account.
“She changed the passwords to my official government email,” Quinlan said. “Meaning she has the capability of monitoring my law enforcement email account in the same manner in which she has been monitoring the former chief’s account since September of 2025.”
“In doing so, she can intercept sensitive law enforcement documents from SLED, as well as any other law enforcement agency,” he said.
Quinlan further alleged that Bouknight actively undermined his authority, including pushing him to place Marchant on paid administrative leave and ultimately allowing him to resign without consequence, despite being the subject of an active internal affairs investigation.
The latter, Quinlan says, was done without his consent.
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“Whether it’s the crime of the century, a simple ordinance violation or an egregious policy violation, it’s my job as the chief to address it,” Quinlan said. “But instead we’re sweeping things under the rug because it might make the town administrator look more unqualified than she already looks.”
At what would prove to be the conclusion of his tenure, Quinlan said he was presented with a verbal ultimatum last week by the town’s attorney: resign with good marks or face a “separation of employment during [a] probationary period.”
“I feel horrible, man,” Quinlan added. “I applied for this position to make a difference.”
A decorated U.S. Marine and 30-year law enforcement veteran, Quinlan came to South Congaree with a resume that included service as a patrol officer, K9 handler, SWAT commander and recipient of the South Carolina Medal of Valor.
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“PLAY STUPID GAMES…”
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Signs of disturbance within Quinlan’s tenure first came to a head last month, when South Congaree Town Council convened a special called meeting to discuss personnel matters related to both Bouknight and Quinlan.
The meeting triggered an hours-long executive session that spanned two separate council meetings, ultimately culminating in a May 4, 2026 vote that bestowed broad authority upon Bouknight to take additional personnel actions she deemed “in the best interest of the town.”
That motion passed 3–1, with Mayor Cindy Campbell casting the lone dissenting vote. A fourth council member, Brian Jackson, was absent for reasons FITSNews plans to address in a subsequent report.
Fast forward to Tuesday morning…
Within hours of FITSNews breaking the news of Quinlan’s separation, council member Debbie McIver, who voted in support of the motion granting Bouknight expanded authority, took to Facebook with a pointed message
“Poor decisions and manipulative behavior often lead to bad consequences,” McIver wrote. “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.”
Pointed Facebook posts aside, town spokesperson Hunter tells FITSNews that Quinlan’s separation was handled in accordance with applicable laws, policies and procedures – adding that the matter is personnel-related and that the town will not be commenting further.
“The town and its leaders remain committed to maintaining professional leadership within our police department and ensuring continued public safety services for the community,” Hunter said Tuesday. “The operations of the South Congaree Police Department will continue without interruption.”
Quinlan’s predecessor, Steven Jonas, retired in September 2025 amid an off duty car accident involving his patrol vehicle, questions surrounding his body-worn camera footage and a state investigation into “allegations of excessive force.”
Charges stemming from the car accident were swiftly dropped, while potential charges in the state investigation were declined to prosecute by the S.C. attorney general’s office.
This story may be updated.
Write to Andrew Fancher at andy@fitsnews.com.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Andrew Fancher is a Lone Star Emmy Award–winning journalist from Dallas, Texas. He joined FITSNews in 2023 after leaving an NBC affiliate, where he served as on-air talent. His reporting focuses on public corruption in South Carolina, with an emphasis on law enforcement misconduct and abuse of power.
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SOUND OFF…
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7 comments
Another small town police chief who thinks he is in charge. Time to wake up and realize that you work for the Town Administrator and are merely one of her department managers. If you want to run your own department then campaign to be Sheriff.
Veni, vidi, vici Top fan, “run your own department” unwittingly points out to one root of many, many evils: the Home Rule Act.
That “act” replicated in many states is NOT really a widening of democracy but a device to increase government jobs and replicate them and create local patronage jobs basically unaccountable because local elections have traditionally a 10% or so turn out.
Home Rule is NOT small government INSTEAD OF big government; it is small governments IN ADDITION TO big goverment.
I believe local police and sheriff departments are unconstitutional because localities are NOT sovereigns. Only the federal government and state government are sovereigns. And it is ridiculous that the Governor can suspend and appoint local interim sheriffs but cannot appoint permanent ones in the first place.
The real DOGE revolution should first look at the threshold at who has the right to have governments. The U.S. Constitution has a clear answer: only sovereigns can form government; and localities are NOT soverigns.
County sheriffs are constitutional [See Art. 5, Sec. 24 of state constitution]. Their office is created by the sovereign state. Fun history fact: sheriffs existed under common law before even the U.S. was formed; their lawful authority already existed for over 100 years before the Declaration.
Congaree cat fish Top Fan: True; but also true: (1) The FEDERAL constitution is the supreme law of the land and supersedes state laws and constitutions; (2) state laws and constitutional provisions may be struck as violative of the federal constitution; (3) LOCAL policing has its origin in the bounty hunters for escaped slaves; and (4) the Declaration and the Constitution, having authors in common are NOT free of the racism (“the ruthless Indian savages” for example) and the misogyny (no franchise or property ownership for women) of their time.
Unless Quinlan has a well-drafted contract in his favor that grants him operational independence, he has no recourse in this situation. City police chiefs in SC can absolutely be subject to the supervisional authority of a city administrator. County sheriffs are constitutional officers with far greater legal autonomy. I do think the legislature should seriously consider drafting some laws that give municipal police chiefs greater insulation from political meddling and personality clashes with the city administrator.
So let me understand, while he uncovered illegal wrong doing and planned as a police officer to take action, the town administrator have the final say so? Explains the corruption in this state and the good ole boy system at it’s best.
How about nepotism? Does that come into play here? Just asking?
Sadly, the answer to your question is “yes.” I don’t know anything about nepotism involved with this particular situation, but I think that’s not barred at the muni level by state law.