Categories: South Carolina News

Former SC elections head arrested in Richland County

RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – The former head of the South Carolina Election Commission, who was fired last month, has been arrested in Richland County, according to jail records.

Records show Howard Knapp was booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center on Friday on 11 charges, including ethics violations, misconduct in office, and embezzlement of public funds less than $10,000.

Knapp was ousted as executive director on Sept. 16 due to a “desire for new leadership,” Chairman Dennis Shedd said at the time.

However, Shedd said at an Oct. 15 meeting that an investigation into how a $28 million contract for new voting machines ended up costing the agency millions more led to the firings of Knapp and his second-in-command, as well as the resignation of a third employee.

Shedd said a recording device had been hidden in the room before the commissioners met behind closed doors to discuss Knapp’s fate in mid-September. The device was allegedly planted by Paige Salonich, the agency’s deputy director.

Salonich was fired days later for committing several policy violations, including placing the device and using inappropriate language toward her colleagues during an outburst, according to a copy of a Sept. 22 separation letter obtained by News 2.

Shedd insisted that any misconduct did not affect the integrity of any election.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division began investigating Knapp in March 2024 at the request of the attorney general’s office.

Knapp is set to appear in court at 2 p.m. for a bond hearing. Count on 2 for updates.

The Associated Press contributed.

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