TIMMONSVILLE, SC (WBTW) -Thom Berry with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division confirmed SLED is investigating allegations of corruption by city officials in Timmonsville.
Questions arose July 6 about a personal loan made to the former Timmonsville Police Chief, Gregory Palmer. Council Woman Cheryl Moore- Qualls says yesterday she got a tip from a local resident about the loan.
Moore- Qualls said, “He had found out that there was money used to bail out our Chief Palmer for not paying child support, at the time he was asking me if I knew anything about it. I said no.”
When the claims were confirmed, she made a statement at the beginning of the council meeting saying, “Anyone who knowingly participated in the misuse of taxpayer money should be arrested.”
A statement she stands firm on.
Last night, the Timmonsville Mayor Darrick Jackson fired Police Chief Palmer stating, “I and council had lost confidence in his ability to lead the department.”
The personal loan for Palmer was not voted on by the council. Moore- Qualls said “from my perspective and many other council members we did not agree on or approve any personal loans.”
Moving forward, the council woman says she plans to ask South Carolina Law Enforcement (SLED) to investigate the allegations of misuse of taxpayer money for a personal loan.
“I plan to contact SLED to investigate the situation and let us know how we should handle this situation.” Moore- Qualls adds, “As elected officials have to remember we represent the will of the people who elected us, we have hard working we have hard working people here in Timmonsville who trust us with their money”
Her goal for the council involves productivity in the town of Timmonsville. She wants the town to thrive in comparison with other small towns in Florence, South Carolina.
She says council needs to come together — and figure out the best way to spend taxpayer money.
Moore- Qualls said, “That’s what they elected us for, so it is our responsibility to bring to them everything that they are asking for. And if we have money to make personal loans them we have money to make Timmonsville a much better place to live.”
