S.C. Briefs

Governor posts more than $1M in fundraising filing

COLUMBIA - South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster raised more than a million dollars in the most recent filing period as he seeks his first full term in office.

Online records show the Republican raised $1.28 million from May 23 to June 30. He finished the period with about $221,000 cash on hand.

Democratic nominee James Smith raised about $316,000 during the period. The state representative from Columbia had around $128,000 cash on hand.

Smith won his June 12 primary outright, defeating Florence attorney Marguerite Willis and Charleston consultant Phil Noble. McMaster was forced into a runoff with Greenville businessman John Warren, ultimately winning that contest on June 26 with about 54 percent of votes cast.

Lawsuit: Voting system vulnerable to hacking

COLUMBIA - South Carolina election officials are accused in a new lawsuit of failing to keep the state's voting processes secure.

The State newspaper reports the suit filed Tuesday says the South Carolina Election Commission has deprived voters of their constitutional right to vote by failing to provide a reliable voting system.

The suit filed by a businessman and a former state lawmaker says the state's thousands of digital voting machines are antiquated, leave no paper trail and have "deep security flaws" making them vulnerable to hacking.

Commission executive director Marci Andino told the newspaper she hadn't seen the lawsuit and had no comment. Andino says the commission knows its voting machines are near the end of their 15-year life cycle and wants to replace them before the 2020 presidential election.

Danish girl struck, killed by SUV; 30-year-old jailed

CHARLESTON - An 11-year-old Danish girl has died after she was struck by a vehicle while walking with her parents in South Carolina earlier this week.

News outlets reported the Charleston County Coroner's Office said Selma Akguel of Middelfart, Denmark, died Tuesday at the Medical University of South Carolina hospital.

Charleston police say the girl was walking with her parents on a sidewalk Monday evening when she was struck by a sports utility vehicle. Her parents were not hurt.

The driver, 30-year-old Jeffrey William Wakefield of Charleston, is charged with reckless homicide and driving under the influence resulting in death.

Wakefield was being held in the county jail.

It was not known if he has an attorney yet. The drunken driving charge carries a penalty of up to 25 years in prison.