Councilmembers Claim Broken Government

Click here to see extended video of the confrontation



They are elected officials who claim they serve a broken government that is unwilling to provide public information.
 
 “It looks like someone was maybe living on the credit cards. Without backup, you run all sorts of suspicions through your mind,” says Anderson County Councilwoman Cindy Wilson.
 
Both Wilson and Councilman Bob Waldrep say they're concerned about county credit card usage, like four hundred dollar dinners in Myrtle Beach and several meals at Hooters. They've requested backup receipts to county credit cards for more than five months from Administrator Joey Preston, “They've been unclear as to when it will be available," said Waldrep.
 
Seven On Your Side wanted to see if their claims are true. We followed Wilson and Waldrep to the finance department. Waldrep announced to the finance department officials, “I'm chairmen of county council, Anderson County… and I’m requesting that you provide me to look at the backup of these credit cards.”
 
Cindy Wilson added, “It's right over there in those files.”
 
Waldrep expressed his concerns more intensely when Gina Humphries, the county’s finance department head, stepped in, “I'm gonna ask you one more time. I want the opportunity to see [the backup receipts]. You are the head of this department; I'm the chairmen of county council. l represent probably 18,000 people or so. I'm making that request again. Will you allow me to opportunity to look at the backup information in these public files? 
 
Humphries answered, “Not right now.”
 
Waldrep lost his chair position on council shortly after the confrontation in the finance department.
 
News Channel 7 asked Humphries for a chance to look at the backup receipts ourselves, but it proved difficult for us too.
 
When we arrived to make copies, every county department head watched over me, and a paid photographer recordedme as I looked over the documents.
 
When it came time to copy, Humphries refused my request to use my own copier. She wanted to charge me .25 cents per page. After calling our attorney, the county eventually allowed News Channel 7 to use our own copier. We just started analyzing the backup receipts. We'll let you know what we find.
 
Fellow Councy Councilman Bill McAbee says the charge is expensive, but not excessive. He also says Preston runs an open government. He says Wilson and Waldrep will soon have access to the requested county credit card receipts.
 
When News Channel 7 tried to get a straight answer from Preston, our calls were never returned.
 
The county recently set a date for all the council members to review the backup receipts, but according to a letter by administrator Preston, he plans to charge them .25 cents per page. We'll let you know if it happens.
 
State Senator Kevin Bryant says he's drafting a bill that could help with Anderson County's open government issues. His bill would require all government agencies to post all expenses and reports on the internet for the public to view.