Uncovered: SLED investigating Summerton councilman in town with water issues
The State Law Enforcement Division has opened an investigation into a Summerton councilman who failed to disclose his involvement with the small town’s problem-plagued water systems, which are the focus of a separate probe by state and federal authorities.
The investigation into Chalmers Stukes began in August, according to SLED spokesman Tommy Crosby.
In June, The Post and Courier and The Sumter Item reported that Stukes did not disclose his employment with the company the town hired to operate its water systems. And that he did not recuse himself from votes that could benefit the business. Both omissions appear to violate state law.
Stukes did not respond to a phone message requesting comment on Sept. 7. One of his attorneys, Shaun Kent, declined to discuss the inquiry.
“It’s probably unfair to make a comment at this point. SLED has not reached out to us as of yet,” Kent said. “Clearly, the news media has more information than we do.”
SLED’s investigation adds a new layer to mounting scrutiny of the situation in Summerton. The state Department of Health and Environmental Control and the federal Environmental Protection Agency are investigating the town’s water systems. A spokesperson for DHEC, which regulates drinking water, said the investigation by the agencies is ongoing.
Documents obtained by the newspapers showed that an outside consultant had found major problems with Summerton’s systems: unrepaired equipment, missing paperwork and insect poison scattered around drinking wells. A state health inspector said that systems no longer met state standards and some people were told for months to boil their water.
Council members in the town, located about 50 miles southeast of Columbia, said they only learned about the issues after residents complained about illnesses and cloudy drinks. In response, Summerton officials this spring ended the town’s contact with Stukes’ employer, Blackman Laboratory, which had a role in the town’s water systems for decades.
Crosby, the SLED spokesman, declined to release additional information about the agency’s investigation because it is ongoing.
The previous story about Stukes was part of Uncovered, a yearlong initiative in which The Post and Courier has teamed up with community newspapers to expose government misconduct across South Carolina. In cases like Summerton’s, reporters have found that the state’s weak ethics enforcement allows apparent violations and conflicts of interest to go unchecked.
State law requires officials to disclose money they make from government contractors. It also requires them to list all their sources of income, from public and private entities. For years, Stukes never mentioned Blackman Laboratory in electronic filings with the State Ethics Commission. And he has not updated his filings since the story published, records show.
Meghan Walker, the executive director for the state ethics agency, said she could not confirm nor deny whether Stukes was the subject of a complaint.