Forensic audit of Hampton County, S.C. finds budget, record-keeping and spending-control gaps after residents sought accounting for $5.1 million

Eide Bailly LLP released a 50-page forensic accounting report on June 26, 2025 for the South Carolina State Auditor's Office, covering Hampton County's fiscal years 2016 through 2024. WSAV reports the state legislature mandated the audit after residents protested and demanded an accounting of $5.1 million that officials could not locate.