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Thursday, March 28, 2024 - 09:32 PM

INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE VOICE OF UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

First Published in 1994

INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE VOICE OF
UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

Conservatives of the Upstate, a local Pickens County grassroots group whose mission is to bring together like-minded conservatives to take action recently had several sources who contacted us with concerns of nepotism taking place in Pickens County. We took these concerns seriously. Nepotism rarely places the best individual into any contracted job, not to mention it is against the law in SC. So we proceeded with a FOIA request.

The Ethics Act of 1991 governs the employment of family members / nepotism. Questions concerning the employment of family members / nepotism should be referred to the State Ethics Commission which governs this Act. Under the Ethics Act a family member is defined as “an individual who is the spouse, parent, brother, sister, child, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, grandparent, or grandchild or a member of the individual’s immediate family.”

The county provided us with the following link: http://www.co.pickens.sc.us/Finance/Spending/default.aspx

After searching through the link which provides receipts to payments to vendors, it was evident that the allegations of nepotism were valid.

We have not finished the search of the link provided, but have already found two incidences where the son of Chairman Roy Costner has indeed received payments. I have requested more information on exactly what these payments were for. One was for May 17, 2018 in the amount of $200 (check # 351290) and the other found so far was for January 25, 2018 in the amount of $300 (check #348617) . I am confident there are probably more. We also learned of three videos made by Bebo Originals, which promote our county. According to Roy Costner's son Roy B. Costner IV's Facebook page, Bebo Originals is his company. Link to his company is: https://bebooriginals.com/ We are unsure if payment was rendered for the production of these videos at this time but it is suspicious that many of his portfolio videos are a result of his connections through his father.

Chairman Costner's son has also been active in the county's new Performing Arts Center in Liberty, SC. It has also been learned that Chairman Costner's future daughter-in-law was hired into the finance dept. of the county. There are concerns over Roy B Costner IV contract services in relation to drones with the Sheriff's Department a well.

All of this comes to light after many citizens were concerned when Chairman Costner decided to inquire about becoming a Sister City in Karlsrhue Germany which was close to where a family member is stationed. Costner claimed allowing his family member to arrange for the purchase of the flights for the council members obtained cheaper prices for the council. While meeting with officials in Karlsrhue his wife conveniently got to visit with family.

Nepotism interferes with fairness, it gives undue advantage to someone who does not necessarily merit this treatment. Nepotism is wrong and shouldn't be taking place in Pickens County. Further investigation is needed.

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