SC legislator threatens to withhold money from Chester if it doesn’t fill his request
The city administrator of Chester, a rural city between Charlotte and Columbia, is accusing a state representative of misusing his power after the legislator threatened to withhold state funding.
Rep. John King, D-Rock Hill, submitted a request shortly after midnight on Wednesday seeking detailed financial and administrative records from the city. If officials don’t provide that information, King said in his request he would ask state leaders to halt Chester’s state aid until they comply. It’s unclear how much aid is at stake.
Chester City Administrator Malik Whitaker called the request “an overt threat” that attempts to destabilize city government and undermine public trust.
“This is a deeply troubling misuse of authority, particularly from a legislator who does not represent the City of Chester or its residents,” Whitaker said in a message to the City Council, the mayor and the city attorney. Whitaker provided The Herald with copies of his message and King’s request.
In his email request to Whitaker, King copied the entire City Council; Speaker of the House Murrell Smith, R-Sumter; and Rep. Bruce Bannister, R-Greenville, chairman of the House Ways and Means committee. As of Thursday afternoon, King said he has not heard from the city. He denies wrongdoing.
“If they violate the Freedom of Information Act, as a state legislator, I can request of the General Assembly to withhold their funds,” King said. “That’s within my power and my purview as a legislator.”
SC Rep. John King requests financial records from Chester
King does not represent Chester in the state legislature, but he previously served on its City Council and Chester County Council. His sister, Robbie King-Boyd, is a current Chester city councilwoman.
King, whose district covers only parts of York County, said he made his records request because he secured a $500,000 state allocation to help Chester repair its recreation center. He wants to know how that money was spent.
He asked for the following records within 30 days:
- All credit cards and credit card statements from city officials or employees for purchases that used public money since 2022
- A list of current city employees with a salary of $50,000 or more
- All contracts and agreements related to the $500,000 in state funds for the recreational center
- All overtime compensation records for city employees since 2022
- Copies of city budgets from fiscal years 2023 and 2024 and a breakdown of how funds were actually spent
- A detailed report of state funds allocated to Chester since the 2022 fiscal year
- An itemized breakdown of all funds spent on or for individual council members since 2022
- A list of all active and closed city bank accounts and bank statements since 2022
- All expenses related to legal counsel or legal services paid by the city since 2022
A request of that size would “cripple” staff’s ability to carry out basic government functions because there are only three people who process records requests, Whitaker said.
Chester used the $500,000 to repair a portion of the roof over its 68,000 square-foot recreation facility, which Whitaker said was included in the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism’s budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year. That project was completed.
Chester Mayor Carlos Williams responded in a letter to King on Thursday. King said he had not received the letter at the time of The Herald’s receipt.
Williams described King’s involvement as persistent and unsolicited “interference” that burdens city staff. He said Chester undergoes annual independent financial audits and the city is always shown to be in good standing.
“Let me be clear: your behavior has crossed the line into targeted harassment. It does not reflect oversight or care; it reflects disruption, distraction, and disregard for the work our team is doing,” Williams wrote in his letter to King.
The state legislator and his sister have subjected Whitaker to a pattern of hostility since he was appointed to his position in January 2023, the city administrator said. He said King is trying to force his resignation.
King told The Herald he doesn’t know what Whitaker is talking about.
“I am a member of the General Assembly who has given the city money through my (budget) request, and I’m asking for answers,” King said. “If he has something personal going on in his head, that’s between him and God because I don’t know the man. I have no hostility towards him, and I take offense to that.”
‘Two wrongs do not make a right’: Attorney weighs in
The South Carolina Freedom of Information Act grants public access to records from government entities such as school districts or cities. Some exceptions apply. Public bodies have up to 20 days to determine whether it can provide requested records more than two years old, then it has an additional 35 calendar days to furnish those records.
Jay Bender, a leading South Carolina attorney on open records cases, said both parties are wrong to some extent.
King’s threat to withhold funding is an “inappropriate abuse of legislative authority,” Bender said. The appropriate remedy is to file suit in court if Chester refuses his request.
And the city should take the matter to court, too, if it believes exceptions apply to fulfilling King’s request. Financial records relating to federal grant expenditures should be accessible.
“Two wrongs do not make a right,” Bender said.
Whitaker asked the Chester city attorney to notify King his request is unduly burdensome and ask the legislator to either narrow his request or allow the city to fulfill it in phases. He also suggested the city refer King’s behavior to the state ethics commission or the attorney general’s office.
This story was originally published May 30, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
