Lexington County Sheriff James Metts is looking into reported ties that Lexington Town Councilman Danny Frazier, a part-time community relations staffer for deputies, has with the Internet sweepstakes industry.

“The sheriff takes any allegations about employee conduct seriously,” spokesman Erik Murrah said Thursday.

For now, Murrah said, Frazier remains on the payroll.

Frazier, a council member since 2005, is under fire for allegedly advising online gaming operators about where to locate in the county.

He has worked since April 30 for Metts up to 20 hours per week on projects he is assigned, a role paying nearly $15,000 a year.

Efforts to reach Frazier for comment Thursday were unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, Town Hall sent out a statement reiterating that such operations are not allowed in the community of 18,000 residents.

It was done to settle confusion and misunderstanding, town administrator Britt Poole said.

A few operators have inquired since spring about coming into town but have been rebuffed, he said.

Frazier “has not said one word to me” about ways to introduce such operations into the town, Poole said.

The statement says it is Town Hall’s longstanding position that the games are “illegal and incongruent” with zoning standards.

Any operation discovered will be sent to state law enforcement officials to handle as part of their crackdown on the games, it said.