Third major outside investigation in three years follows departure of county CFO
By Delayna Earley
The Island News
Beaufort County Council voted unanimously June 1 to authorize an independent inquiry into county departments and personnel overseen by County Administrator Michael Moore, launching what will become the third major outside investigation commissioned by county government in the past three years.
The decision came during a special called County Council meeting following a closed executive session that lasted approximately two and a half hours.
According to the meeting agenda, council entered executive session to discuss matters covered by attorney-client privilege and issues related to the employment of a person regulated by council. Under Beaufort County’s form of government, the county administrator is the only employee directly hired by County Council.
Following the executive session, Councilman Joe Passiment made a motion directing the county to engage an outside firm to conduct an inquiry into departments and personnel overseen by the county administrator. According to the motion, the inquiry will evaluate compliance with county policies and procedures, relevant laws and county ordinances.
The motion passed unanimously.
County officials have not publicly identified the firm that will conduct the inquiry, how much the investigation will cost, who will select the firm or which departments will be examined.
The vote came just days after Beaufort County Council’s Executive Committee met in executive session May 29 and subsequently voted to call the special meeting. No public action was taken following that executive session.
Departure of CFO remains unanswered
The inquiry comes amid continued questions surrounding the departure of former Chief Financial Officer Pinky Harriott, who left county employment in May during the county’s annual budget process.
While county officials have not publicly stated whether Harriott resigned or was terminated, multiple sources familiar with the situation told The Island News that Harriott was terminated from her position. County officials have declined to publicly discuss the circumstances surrounding her departure.
Harriott’s departure followed a May 11 executive session during which council discussed a workplace management letter and what was described on the agenda as a whistleblower complaint related to fund allocations.
County officials have not publicly linked the newly approved inquiry to Harriott’s departure, the whistleblower complaint or any other specific issue. However, the timing has fueled speculation among residents and county employees about whether the events are connected.
A pattern of outside investigations
The latest inquiry is the third major outside investigation commissioned by Beaufort County government in the past three years.
The first involved an independent review of procurement and purchasing practices under former County Administrator Eric Greenway. The review examined whether county staff had followed procurement policies and procedures and ultimately found widespread failures to comply with the county’s procurement code. Investigators concluded many of the issues stemmed from a poor organizational culture that originated with county leadership.
The findings led to a series of policy changes and additional financial controls following Greenway’s departure.
The second investigation began in 2024 when county officials hired Bettis Law Group to investigate allegations that confidential information was being improperly disclosed from county government. The inquiry was later reopened and continued into 2025. County officials ultimately reported that the investigation failed to identify the source of the leaks or produce conclusive findings despite costing taxpayers approximately $60,000.
The newly approved inquiry differs from those previous investigations in scope. Rather than focusing on a specific issue such as procurement practices or alleged information leaks, the motion approved June 1 calls for a review of departments and personnel overseen by the county administrator and their compliance with county policies, procedures, laws and ordinances.
Questions remain
Several key questions remain unanswered.
County officials have not disclosed what specific concern prompted the inquiry, whether it is connected to Harriott’s departure, the whistleblower complaint or another issue entirely. Officials also have not announced how much the investigation is expected to cost taxpayers, when a firm will be selected or when findings could be released.
Council has likewise not indicated whether the review will focus on financial management, personnel issues, workplace culture, policy compliance or other operational concerns.
County officials have not announced a timeline for selecting a firm, beginning the inquiry or releasing any findings to the public.
The June 1 vote authorizes the county to move forward with the process of engaging an outside firm to conduct the review.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.