by WILL FOLKS
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Two weeks after controversially dismissing a child sex charge against former Pickens, South Carolina mayor pro tempore/city councilman Donald Edward McKinney, prosecutors in the office of attorney general Alan Wilson quietly re-indicted him last week.
According to a direct indictment (.pdf) obtained by FITSNews, a Pickens County grand jury indicted McKinney last Tuesday (November 3, 2026) on one count of criminal sexual conduct with a minor in the second degree – a violation of S.C. Code of Laws § 16-3-655 (B)(2). That’s the same charge McKinney was indicted on back in December of 2022 – resulting in his automatic suspension from office at the time by governor Henry McMaster.
He was originally arrested on the charge in October 2022.
At that time, agents of the S.C. Law Enforcement Division (SLED) alleged McKinney engaged in “sexual battery by groping and performing oral sex” on a victim who was between the ages of fourteen and sixteen at the time. The alleged sexual assault occurred on our about May 20, 2022, per the probable cause affidavit (.pdf) accompanying the warrant for McKinney’s arrest.
Per the new indictment, McKinney allegedly engaged in “sexual battery with a victim… who is at least fourteen years of age but is less than sixteen years of age” while the former was “in a position of familial, custodial, or official authority to coerce the victim to submit.”
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McKinney – a relative of the male victim – was supposed to stand trial on his original indictment earlier this month, but that charge was controversially dropped. As we reported at the time, the decision to drop the charge reportedly sparked a war between Wilson’s office and S.C. circuit court judge Rivers Lawton McIntosh.
It also prompted attorneys for the victim to submit a petition for writ of mandamus (.pdf) against Wilson’s office – arguing his prosecutors violated the habitually ignored S.C. Victims Bill of Rights in disposing of the original charge. FITSNews was told Wilson’s office had “good reason” for handling the matter the way it did – and that the office was working to ensure “justice is done” in this case.
Multiple sources familiar with the case told us McKinney would be re-indicted on the child sex charge prior to Wilson’s election as governor last Tuesday.
Which is exactly what happened…
Keep it tuned to our media outlet as we track this latest indictment of McKinney… including what we are told is the former councilman’s “imminent” surrender to authorities and the setting of a new bond. Despite the severity of the alleged crime – a felony with a possible prison sentence of up to twenty (20) years – last time McKinney was charged he was granted a $20,000 personal recognizance bond by magistrate judge Michael A. Baker.
“Personal recognizance” means McKinney did not have to put up any money to secure his release after he was processed on the charge.
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THE INDICTMENT…
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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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