Berkeley GOP accepts check, will skip audit

MONCKS CORNER — The Berkeley County Republican Party has decided not to hire an independent auditor to look for missing funds after former Chairman Bill Wilcox wrote the party a certified check for $1,890.

Wilcox said Monday he's not even sure there were funds unaccounted for, but he wrote the check to help the party, and him, move forward without further infighting.

That sentiment was shared by a majority of executive committee members who voted to accept the check without an audit during a meeting Aug. 10. They outnumbered committee members, including Chairman James Curry, who wanted an audit to erase any suspicion about where the money went and whether there was possible wrongdoing. Upon losing the vote, Curry immediately announced his resignation, citing his inability to unify the party.

Much of the discussion Aug. 10 took place during an executive session. The Post and Courier obtained an audio recording of the executive session last week from a source who asked not to be identified.

Treasurer Steve Query told the party during the executive session that he discovered money missing during an exhaustive review of the party's finances. The record-keeping in 2006 and 2007 ranged from "extremely lacking in checks and balances to basically nonexistent," Query is heard saying on the tape.

Query said he found checks paid to cash and checks paid to Wilcox, signed by Wilcox. He also found that cash was received from deposits and deposit slips were not signed. He found few receipts and said the vast majority of checks written in 2006 and 2007 were written on counter checks. The recipients of those checks were not entered into the check registry, he said.

"What I can tell you is we kind of know where the money went in some respects," Query told committee members. "For some respects we don't know."

Query said Wilcox wrote the party a check for $1,890 based on receipts that were unaccounted for.

Wilcox said in response Monday that he has moved three times in the past year and felt writing the check was easier than trying to find receipts. "It's just a matter of not digging it out," he said.

The party began looking into its finances in June when it was revealed that Wilcox bounced a $429 check in April to pay for the party's convention site. In June, the party voted to have one of its own members audit the finances, but when Query found money missing, Curry decided to recommend hiring an independent auditor to avoid a conflict of interest.

Curry never got the chance to ask for an independent auditor during the executive session Aug. 10. Curry told the executive committee an independent auditor could decide if it needs to be taken to the next level — "by that I mean someone being prosecuted," Curry said.

State Executive Committeeman Wayland Moody interrupted Curry during the meeting, saying the chairman was out of order because Moody had already made a motion to accept the check.

"I think you're talking about something as the chairman right now that you really shouldn't be talking about," Moody is heard saying on the tape. "We are not accusing anybody."

"Nobody is being accused," Curry said.

The party voted to exit the executive session and made a motion in a public session to accept Wilcox's check.

Wilcox said Monday the issue has been blown out of proportion by a small group of party members who are trying to trash his reputation because their candidate, former Berkeley County Supervisor Jim Rozier, lost to the candidate he supported, Supervisor Dan Davis, in a Republican primary a year ago.

"It's all politics," Wilcox said. "I'm done with it. This is stupid."

Wilcox decided not to run for re-election as chairman after it was revealed he had at least one conviction and multiple pending charges for writing fraudulent checks less than $500. He said his decision was best for the party and his family.

Moody and Curry — who finalized his resignation over the weekend — said Monday they could not comment on anything that was discussed during executive session.

Wilcox, Query and Curry all questioned the legality of using a recording of the executive session. Jay Bender, attorney for the South Carolina Press Association, said it's legal for someone invited to an executive session to record the meeting.

During another tense meeting Monday night, the executive committee elected former Berkeley County Coroner Wade Arnette to replace Curry. At least three committee members turned in their resignations in protest of the committee's decision to accept Wilcox's money without an audit.

Reach Andy Paras at 745-5891 or aparas@postandcourier.com.