Spartanburg County sheriff under investigation by South Carolina Ethics Commission

Sheriff Chuck Wright being investigated after the hiring his son

SPARTANBURG COUNTY—An investigation by the South Carolina Ethics Commission is underway after it learned of the hiring of Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright’s son, Jared Wright, earlier this month.

State ethics law, 8-13-750(a), states that no public official, public member, or public employee may cause the employment, appointment, promotion, transfer, or advancement of a family member to a state or local office or position in which the public official, public member, or public employee supervises or manages.

After receiving a complaint from an independent government watchdog, the commission gained enough evidence to warrant an investigation into the hiring of Jared Wright as a part-time deputy with the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Wright claims that he has not done anything wrong and says that he even reached out to the ethics commission before his son was hired. Sheriff Wright also said in a statement that he was not the individual who made the decision to hire his son and that he was hired bymanagers with the SCSO.

According to Sheriff Wright, Jared Wright was employed utilizing the same hiring process that all deputies undergo, and that his son will not be receiving special treatment. The sheriff also says he will not participate in disciplinary actions or be in a supervisory role when it pertains to Jared Wright.

Sheriff Wright says in the coming weeks he will follow whatever the commision asks of him.

This is a developing story. The Tryon Daily Bulletin will share updates as they become available.

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