An investigation by the State Inspector General found that the district had not told its auditors about an IRS penalty that, with interest, had grown past $1 million by April 2026, and that it paid its superintendent at least $326,250 while her legal residence was outside the district. The day after the report came out,…

A forensic examination of the small upstate town also found bonuses paid outside the town’s payroll system and a two-signature rule for checks weakened by a stamp of the mayor’s signature. As of late July, a state criminal investigation was still open, and the town owed the City of Abbeville more than $550,000 for water.