First the DOR breach, now this

My friend Paula Harper Bethea, who runs the state lottery, disclosed the following today to WLTX, which is billing this story as an exclusive:

Columbia, SC (WLTX) — News19 has learned SLED is investigating funds taken from at least one South Carolina Education Lottery account.

SCEL’s executive director Paula Harper Bethea, tells News19 that accounting discrepancies have been found and an investigation is underway.

Sources tell News19 the dollar amount is six figures. We’re told that the money has since been returned, but charges are still likely to be filed.

Bethea stressed to News19 that this involved the finance side of the lottery and that “at no time was the integrity or the security of the central gaming system or any of our games affected.”

SLED would only confirm that an investigation into the accounting discrepancies is underway and would not release any other information.

First somebody gets into our private data at DOR, now somebody (else?) gets into the lottery till. What next?

12 thoughts on “First the DOR breach, now this

  1. Steven Davis II

    Is she really your friend? Do you go to her house on a regular basis or go to dinner regularly? I love how politicians and those who idolize them use the phrase, “my friend” for people who are no more than acquaintances.

  2. Brad

    Actually, Steven, Paula is a friend of mine. I say that as a disclaimer, to let people know of that bias on my part.

    I could just keep it to myself, but that would be less transparent, wouldn’t it?

  3. Silence

    Now that we have established your scocial ties to Ms. Bethea, the question is, what did Brad Warthen know about the Great Lottery Embezzlement, and when did he know it?

  4. Brad

    Actually, I’ve never been to her house. But if that’s the standard, then I’m friends with a lot of people I don’t think of that way, and NOT friends with a lot of people I thought I was friends with.

    As for people coming to MY house, well… I’ve had one social occasion for non family members in the 15 years we’ve lived in this house — I had a cookout for the editorial department when Mike Fitts left the paper.

    When you have five kids and five grandchildren (and parents and brother’s family nearby), social events tend to center around family. Aside from holidays, there are all those birthdays.

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