Authorities in South Carolina have accused the court clerk who oversaw the murder trial of Alex Murdaugh with 76 counts of ethics violations.
The 25 pages of charges accuse former Colleton taxpayer Clerk of Court Becky Hill of using taxpayer funds to purchase numerous meals for her staff, prosecutors, and a vendor, as well as enabling a photo of Murdaugh in a holding cell to be shot in order to promote her book on the trial and give herself bonuses.
According to the South Carolina Ethics Commission lawsuit earlier this month, Hill reportedly arranged for a documentary filmmaker to utilize the county courtroom in exchange for promoting her book on the trial, which she later acknowledged contained copied sections.
If Hill and her attorney don’t settle then, the commission will convene a hearing on the allegations in December that will resemble a trial. Hill might be required to pay back the costs and risk fines of thousands of dollars or more. Additionally, the commission may provide prosecution with the material if they believe she violated any laws.
According to the State Law Enforcement Division, a criminal inquiry into whether Hill abused her position or tampered with the Murdaugh jury is still ongoing. This was announced on Thursday.
In March of the final year of her four-year tenure, Hill tendered her resignation, citing her desire to spend more time with her grandchildren and the public attention surrounding Murdaugh’s trial. Her attorney did not respond to a message left on Thursday, and she has not publicly addressed the ethics accusations.
Murdaugh’s six-week trial in Colleton County last year resulted in a conviction for the murders of his wife and younger son. Power, danger, wealth, and privilege were all at stake in this case, which featured a lawyer whose family had ruled over a small South Carolina county for almost a century.
In part, Murdaugh is claiming that Hill was biased against him for her book and that she attempted to sway the jury to find him guilty to appeal his conviction and life sentence without the possibility of parole. Murdaugh was also incarcerated for many years after he admitted to stealing millions of dollars from his family’s legal practice and settlements for people who had terrible accidents or deaths.
The judge said she wasn’t confident Hill told the truth about her interactions with jurors and was “attracted by the siren call of celebrity” when she rejected the initial appeal.
According to Hill’s ethics charges, she paid for the meals she purchased for the prosecutors with county funds. According to one account, she paid $543.89 for food and drinks at a farewell lunch for a local prosecutor’s office employee.
Spending for defence lawyers or public defenders is not mentioned in any of the charges.
According to the complaint, Hill earned herself bonuses totalling over $10,000 from federal funds intended to enhance child support collection but with little restrictions on how they are used.
Thirty-six times, the former clerk purchased meals for her family, colleagues, judges, and other court personnel with public funds. The accusation claimed that she paid herself back for Valentine’s Day presents she had purchased for her staff and jurors as well as for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Easter.
According to ethics officials, costs for a staff member’s 50th birthday party totalled $481. For another employee, the expenses included dog food, bones, and a pet bed.
The complaint accuses Hill of using county funds in excess of $20,000 in various ways.
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