Former Lexington County GOP chair pleads guilty to stealing thousands of dollars from party
A former Lexington County Republican Party chairman has pleaded guilty to stealing thousands of dollars from the organization.
Craig Caldwell pleaded guilty Monday to one count of breach of trust with fraudulent intent, value more than $10,000, according to the Eighth Circuit Solicitor’s Office, which prosecuted the case. Caldwell was charged in July by the State Law Enforcement Division.
His sentence of eight years in prison was suspended to 30 months of probation, the solicitor’s office told The State.
SLED originally charged Caldwell with two counts of breach of trust with fraudulent intent, value more than $10,000, but one count was dropped as part of Caldwell’s plea deal, according to the solicitor’s office.
Caldwell’s charges stemmed from money he was accused of taking from two organizations:
- More than $61,000 from the the Lexington County GOP’s bank account between 2016 and 2023, the year he was ousted as chair of the party
- More than $52,000 from the Lexington County Rotary Foundation
During the hearing, Caldwell gave current Lexington County Republican Party Chairman Mark Weber a check for $14,922.77, the solicitor’s office confirmed.
“We’re glad that the case was adjudicated and has been closed, and that the county party has been made whole,” Weber told The State.
This story was originally published March 14, 2025 at 11:20 AM.
