One day after director’s firing, SLED agents seen at State Election Commission

On Thursday, one day after South Carolina’s top election official was fired, agents from the State Law Enforcement Division were inside the State Election Commission’s offices in downtown Columbia.

The agents — SLED Capt. Jeremy Smith and Capt. Matt Downey — came out into the commission’s public lobby around noon, but declined to comment to a State newspaper reporter on why they were there.

It was not clear whether SLED was executing a search warrant or whether other SLED agents besides Smith and Downey were inside the Commission’s office complex. The offices are on the fifth floor of a multistory office building at 1122 Lady Street, one block from the State House.

SLED spokeswoman Renee Wunderlich had no immediate comment. Election commission director of external affairs John Michael Catalano also declined to comment on the SLED agents’ visit to the offices.

SLED Chief Mark Keel said, “We are conducting an investigation and, as such, we cannot comment any further at this time.”

Former executive director Howard Knapp was fired by the state Election Commission’s board Wednesday. The board voted 3-2 to terminate him immediately, but gave no explanation other than a desire for “new leadership.”

Earlier in the week, Wunderlich had released this statement: “SLED was requested by the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office on March 29, 2024, to investigate allegations of misconduct involving Howard Knapp, the then-executive director of the South Carolina State Election Commission. The case is open at this time.”

Downey has a background in investigations. Smith worked on a multiyear investigation into corruption at the S.C. State House overseen by special prosecutor David Pascoe.

Knapp’s firing comes amid the election commission dealing with the Department of Justice’s request to turn over the state’s voter rolls, including personal identifying information on 3.3 million voters. An ongoing lawsuit is challenging release of that information to federal authorities.

Knapp was fired as SLED currently investigates allegations of misconduct involving him, SLED confirmed Wednesday evening.

After the election commission’s board voted to oust Knapp, they tapped chief of staff Jenny Wooten to serve as interim acting director.

Elections board Chairman Dennis Shedd asked Wooten to investigate and inquire into the conduct of several managerial staff in the election commission.

Knapp’s removal did not have to do with the “conduct of any election in South Carolina,” Shedd said in an emailed statement to The State after the Wednesday meeting. Shedd did not say anything publicly about Knapp before or after the vote. He declined to answer questions following the meeting.

This story was originally published September 18, 2025 at 2:29 PM.