Who is Howard Knapp, the fired SC elections director who just got arrested? What we know

Ex-South Carolina elections director Howard Knapp has been arrested more than a month after his dramatic firing during a September executive session at the state elections commission.

Knapp, 40, was booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Richland County on Oct. 24, and faces 11 charges, including misconduct while in office, embezzlement and ethics violations, according to court records.

Former chief deputy director, Paige Salonich, 41, was also arrested on a charge of wiretapping, according to court records.

Here’s what we know about Knapp and his firing.

Who is Howard Knapp?

Howard Knapp was appointed executive director of the South Carolina State Election Commission in January 2022 and confirmed by the state senate in March 2023, according to the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration.

In his role as elections director, Knapp was “responsible for overseeing the conduct of primary, general and special elections in South Carolina to ensure that elections are conducted in a fair and impartial manner,” according to the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration.

Before becoming executive director, Knapp served as the State Election Commission’s interim executive director and director of voter services after a more than a decade-long career in legislative and executive branches of state government.

Knapp has a J.D. from Ave Maria School of Law in Naples, Florida and a B.A. from The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina.

Why was Knapp fired from SC elections commission?

After a lengthy, tumultuous executive session Sept. 17 at the state elections commission, Knapp was fired by the board in a 3-2 vote without explanation, The State reported.

Less than 24-hours later, State Law Enforcement Division agents were seen at the election commission’s Columbia office.

Commission Chairman Dennis Shedd said at an Oct. 15 election committee meeting that three state agencies, including SLED, were investigating Knapp’s conduct while in office, including being accused of misusing agency funds for personal reasons.

This story was originally published October 24, 2025 at 2:27 PM with the headline "Who is Howard Knapp, the fired SC elections director who just got arrested? What we know."