HOW BAD IS IT GOING TO BE?
Multiple sources at the scandal-scarred S.C. Department of Social Services (SCDSS) tell FITS a long-awaited audit of the troubled agency has arrived at the office of interim director Amber Gillum.
That means the report is likely to be released to the public within the next few weeks. That’s terrible timing for S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley, whose 2014 reelection bid has been dogged by scandal after scandal emanating from the chronically mismanaged bureaucracy.
Requested in 2012 by S.C. Rep. Jenny Horne, the audit is expected to provide additional fodder for lawmakers seeking to reform the agency – including Horne and S.C. Sen. Katrina Shealy, whose legislative panel will meet on September 16 to hear additional testimony regarding the agency.
SCDSS has been a disaster under Haley – before and after the June resignation of Lillian Koller, her first choice to lead it.
What’s wrong with this agency?
Well, there’s the ongoing failure of SCDSS on the state’s child support enforcement database – or the total lack of follow-through the agency has shown with regard to a food stamp waiver touted by Haley in her so-called “war on fat.” There are also questionable consultant payments and allegations of cooked books at its “welfare to work” program (as well as in its food stamp system).
(For a recent report detailing one of these scams, CLICK HERE).
As this website exclusively reported last year, there’s also blood on SCDSS’ hands – which is the scandal that ultimately brought Koller down.
Will there be more bombshells to come?
It certainly looks that way … although damning audits of incompetent agencies are nothing new for the Haley administration.
14 comments
It should be released now. Why give them time to altered it and make forgeries to the same? Mayor Riley was looking to do that over a report concerning the horrible death of 9 firefighters in Charleston. But public pressure made him give. And once he had to give into force with no time to sit on the report for weeks, the nation saw what he was likely up to with holding it back.
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If the report is not released to the citizens of South Carolina by late Tuesday afternoon, you know something is going on behind the scenes to doctored it. You know they are discussing what they feel needs to be removed from that report that is very damaging, maybe even criminal.
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Every reason not to trust these people.
I am no defender of Perry Simpson or the LAC. But, if you go to their website and read their audits going back for years, you know that it is standard operating procedure to send the audit to the agency for a chance to explain or refute the LAC findings. Then, it’s released to the public.
Now, if DSS is allowed 2 months – after election day – to answer the audit, you will know that LAC GOP dual office holding (i.e., law breaking) board members scalawag Tommy Hartnett and carpetbagger Mallory Factor have put in the fix for GOPer Haley.
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PACKAGE DESCRIPTION: SC DSS Audit Report
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Every Media outlet in the state should be serving freedom of information request immediately before Haleys staff redacts the true facts from the lawmakers and public. If they alter it charge them with purgery.
alas, Harpo’s masters haven’t told them to do that… yet. Course FOIA shall be interpreted as Clinton and Obama admin’s as only applicable to a final report
Read my reply above Leigh and quit politicking!
OK Haley staffer so noted. ….Lol
They can alter the report all they want but they better be concerned who has copies of the original. ..ha ha. ..idiots
Get em sic;
The Obamacare network was hacked in July and we just now hear of that. This department has been plagued for well over 20 years along with all state government.
I personally observe state,city and county vehicles running up and down the road speeding,running errands and everything else. Government entities must have an automobile for every other person in the department and they all hire relatives or friends of some politician. You can bet at the very least 1/3 of government debt comes from fraud,waste or abuse and our answer is the party before us did it and caused it. So much for this B/S. We get all up in arms to help promote Vince or some other politician and then after the election we go back to the same old routine.
Requested in 2012? Are you fu&*ing serious? What the hell did they do for 2 years? How many kids died in DSS care within those two years? Why are we funding an agency that takes 2 years to complete a project, and it’s not even the DOT?!?!?!
These people who we elect to run our government and its agencies most always end up being losers with college degrees. We elected them based on their looks, the way they talk and smile, but fail to look at their work record and abilities to actually run a tight ship. Paying them high salaries with a host of excellent benefits does not make them any better, either. There needs to be a major house cleaning at this agency. Its a total screwed up mess full of do nothings that do 2 hours of actual work in an 8 hour work day.
As to the audit report. It should be released now. The longer they sit on it and keep it from the public, it tells the public even more as to just how bad things really are. Fact!
Shouldn’t take long. Amber’s not doing anything else.
DSS never has “real” audits. Counties are notified 2-3 months ahead of time and are sent a list of items that will be audited. This gives them plenty of time to make needed corrections and correct mistakes and yet they still fail!
There’s a difference in that kind of audit and an LAC audit.
But, what you say about the warning is correct. I was there when they started the child welfare audits and reviewed in a couple of counties. I knew of only one supervisor/program coordinator who was able to educate her staff about what they needed to do and how to do it well enough to actually substantially improve by the second audit a year (+/-) later. It is real simple stuff. But, way too many supervisors/program coordinators don’t appear to have a clue to how to get it through to staff.
You used to be able to go the agency website and the public could see each county’s results and whether they were improving over time.