In a letter to Elizabeth Mabry, Executive Director of SCDOT, Chairman of the Greenville County Council, Dozier Brooks, wrote, "It has come to the attention of the County that on May 6, 2002, GTZ issued a check in the amount of $125.00 to the Greenville County Democratic Committee. . . This plainly appears to be use of public monies for partisan purposes and may involve co-mingled federal and state grant monies passed down through your office. In bringing this to your attention, we would request that SCDOT strongly consider a comprehensive review of GTA expenditures for past and current fiscal years."

In a letter to Tim Lett, General Manager of the Greenville Transit Authority, Chairman Brooks wrote, "Mr. Hill's [GTA Board member who directed the expenditure of GTA monies to GCDAC] actions stand in violation of the State Ethics Act. Additionally, this misppropriation of public funds for partisan purposes may trigger violations of other state and federal statutes."

He continues, "On behalf of the County, I request that you undertake a comprehensive review of GTA expenditures for past and current fiscal years to investigate assure that there have not been similar misappropriations or inappropriate, for partisan purposes or otherwise. Additinally, I ask that the Greenville Transit Authority strongly consider the removal of Mr. Hill from the Board based upon his actions as a GTA Board Member this past spring."

Mr. Hill's response appears to be that the payment was an "inadvertant slip." Mr. Brooks says that Mr. Hill called him to apologize and that he told him "I had to do what I had to do and he had to do what he had to do."

The information was passed annonymously to the council yesterday. It appears that some of the council members attending the conference were not fully aware of the circumstances before the event.