Beaufort County council votes to share internal procurement audit with law enforcement

Beaufort County Council on Aug. 26 agreed to provide the Haynesworth, Sinclair & Boyd (HSB) audit and its supporting documents to state and county law enforcement for ongoing investigations, saying the step balances transparency and investigative needs.

Councilmember McKellen moved the measure and Councilmember Bartholomew seconded it. McKellen said the firm's report was commissioned as an internal audit to identify procurement issues and potential policy violations. “The law firm's report is intended to serve as an internal audit to identify and address procurement issues and to hold accountable those who may have violated county policies,” McKellen said.

Council members who spoke in favor framed the vote as a necessary step to allow criminal investigators to determine whether any unlawful conduct occurred before a public release. “If state and county law enforcement determine that there is no evidence of criminal activity and that no criminal investigations will arise from the report's findings, the report will be released pursuant to any proper Freedom of Information Act request,” McKellen said when describing the planned sequence.

County Attorney and staff also confirmed the executive‑staff review and follow‑up work are ongoing: interviews with staff have begun and, where appropriate, disciplinary action may follow internal findings. Councilmember Cunningham said turning the report over to law enforcement was the appropriate next step after a multi‑month internal review and the replacement of the county administrator whose conduct was under review.

The motion passed without objection. Several council members reiterated that, following law‑enforcement review, any public release would proceed through standard FOIA channels and redactions as required by law.