A Midlands leader is being investigated by SC. It’s not the town’s first legal issue
The small town of Blythewood is once again the center of scrutiny.
A local news outlet revealed recently that a newly hired administrator for the municipality about 18 miles north of Columbia with about 6,000 residents is being investigated by the state Law Enforcement Division.
Blythewood’s new deputy administrator Tiffany Cooks, hired Nov. 21, has been under investigation since February 2023 regarding her former position as Williamsburg County supervisor, The Voice of Blythewood & Fairfield County reported last week.
SLED subsequently confirmed that investigation to The State, and that the investigation was requested by Cooks’ successor in Williamsburg County.
Cooks has since decided not to take the Blythewood position, according to a statement sent to media by Blythewood mayor Sloan Griffin. Griffin did not respond to a direct request from The State for an interview.
The Post and Courier previously reported about questionable overtime pay approved while Cooks was with Williamsburg County, including that she received more than $100,000 in overtime pay between being elected in 2018 and 2022. She ran for reelection in 2022 but lost to Kelvin Washington. Washington is the person who initially requested the SLED investigation.
“Dr. Cooks, along with her family, friends, and church family, has endured unwarranted suffering due to claims made by certain members of the Council and the media,” Griffin said in a statement. “These baseless accusations — made in connection to a Williamsburg County request for SLED to investigate a claim — have created an atmosphere of judgment and speculation. This type of rhetoric jeopardizes reputations and threatens livelihoods, potentially causing individuals to lose their jobs and their ability to care for their families.”
When Cooks took office in Williamsburg County at the start of 2019, she became the first African American woman to be a county supervisor in the state, according to Cooks’ initial hiring announcement from the Town of Blythewood.
“Her career has been defined by a steadfast commitment to service, innovative leadership, and a dedication to building strong and resilient communities,” that announcement reads.
As deputy town administrator, Cooks will handle grant initiatives, work closely with the mayor’s office and oversee “critical operations,” according to the announcement. Cooks has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, a master’s in business administration and a Ph.D in philosophy. She is from Buffalo, New York and also previously served as a military police officer.
Cooks is scheduled to begin her new position with Blythewood Jan. 13, according to the town’s announcement.
The news of the SLED investigation into the town’s new hire comes soon after the small town resolved a different legal drama earlier this year and while it is still in the midst of another one.
At the start of this year, the town settled a lawsuit with local marketing firm MPA Strategies after a years-long battle over a town contract and a Freedom of Information Request the town refused to fill.
In 2021, Blythewood hired MPA Strategies to market the town, but the council seemed to disagree over the decision, leading to accusations of unethical behavior against MPA Strategies’ CEO, Ashley Hunter.
Hunter filed a defamation lawsuit against the town, former Mayor Bryan Franklin, and others, over the accusations, which implied that Hunter had an improper relationship with a Blythewood council member.
Franklin alluded to the relationship in a public meeting, saying, “We don’t just call friends and write checks … I’ll defer to Councilman [Donald] Brock because he clearly has a favorite,” according to the lawsuit.
Former Mayor Franklin allegedly then texted Brock saying he heard a rumor that Brock and Hunter had been seen out together drinking wine, which Brock denied, according to Hunter’s suit.
Franklin later apologized to Hunter, but only after repeating the rumor to other people, according to the lawsuit.
That defamation suit is still ongoing. During the town’s dispute over her contract, Hunter also filed a lawsuit over a Freedom of Information request with the town, which is a legal process the public can use to request public records from government bodies. Hunter filed the request for records from the town over her contract discussions, but was ultimately denied those records. In December 2023, the town agreed to pay MPA Strategies $36,000 to settle that case.
The town’s legal fees for those two lawsuits are close to $1 million, The Voice has previously reported.
This story was originally published December 6, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
