Two South Carolina Clerks of Court Face Felony Charges – Same Federal Child Support Fund at Center of Scandals
James Seidel
5 min read
BROKEN BADGES: Two South Carolina Clerks of Court Face Felony Charges — Same Federal Child Support Fund at Center of Scandals
By James Seidel | CC News Network
WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY, S.C. — Clerks of Court Face Felony Charges – The Broken Badges series has exposed another glaring example of public officials accused of raiding taxpayer-funded accounts meant for vulnerable citizens — and in two separate counties, the same federal fund is at the center of the scandal.
On Tuesday, the South Carolina State Grand Jury indicted former Williamsburg County Clerk of Court Sharon Staggers on ten counts, alleging she embezzled nearly $120,000 from public funds between November 2019 and October 2023. Prosecutors say Staggers diverted Title IV-D child support enforcement funds — provided under the federal Social Security Act to enhance paternity establishment and child support services — and paid herself “incentive” money.
The charges against Staggers include misconduct in office, multiple counts of embezzlement over and under $10,000, violating the State Ethics Act for personal financial gain, and receiving items of value to influence official actions. If convicted on all counts, she faces decades in prison.
Two South Carolina Clerks of Court Face Felony Charges The Becky Hill Connection
The same federal program Staggers is accused of exploiting has surfaced in the ongoing criminal case against former Colleton County Clerk of Court Mary Rebecca “Becky” Hill, who presided over the Alex Murdaugh murder trial in 2023. Hill is accused by the South Carolina Ethics Commission of misusing nearly $20,000 in Title IV-D funds, in addition to facing criminal charges unrelated to the fund.
Hill’s legal troubles escalated on May 14, 2025, when she was arrested and booked on three felony warrants in Colleton County: two counts of misconduct in office and one count of obstruction of justice. The misconduct charges allege malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance in her role as Clerk of Court, while the obstruction charge stems from interference with the judicial process. Each misconduct count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; obstruction carries the same.
The same day Hill was hit with a fourth felony in Richland County: perjury, accused of knowingly providing false testimony under oath — potentially linked to statements she made following the Murdaugh verdict. Under South Carolina law, perjury is punishable by up to five years in prison.
If convicted on all current charges and ethics violations, Hill could face well over a decade behind bars. She also remains under a surrogate investigation by the 11th Circuit Solicitor’s Office in Lexington County, a special arrangement when the Attorney General delegates prosecution to a local solicitor.
Clerks of Court Face Felony Charges – A Program Under Fire
Title IV-D funds are intended to help states enforce child support orders and establish paternity, with the federal government offering “incentive payments” to local offices based on performance metrics. Critics argue that the incentive provision, combined with limited oversight, has effectively turned the account into a slush fund ripe for abuse by clerk’s of court.
The fact that two separate South Carolina clerks — in different counties — face allegations of diverting the same pool of money for personal gain raises urgent questions about systemic vulnerabilities.
Clerks of Court Face Felony Charges – Pattern of Misconduct
Staggers’ indictment comes in the same year Williamsburg County Sheriff Stephen Gardner and County Supervisor Tiffany Cooks were charged with public corruption involving misused taxpayer funds. Meanwhile, Hill’s controversies extend beyond alleged fund misuse. She faces nearly 100 ethics allegations, jury tampering accusations tied to the Murdaugh case, and the arrest of her son, Jeffrey “Colt” Hill, for wiretapping in 2023.
In the Murdaugh trial fallout, juror 785 — nicknamed the “Egg Lady” — published a book alleging Hill’s conduct compromised the verdict.
As for Hill, in its Initial Brief, the State of South Carolina openly conceded that former Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill made improper comments to jurors — telling them to “watch [Alex Murdaugh’s] body language,” describing the day of his testimony as an “important” or “epic” day, and, according to one juror, urging them to “watch his actions” in a way that “made it seem like he was already guilty.” Yet, instead of treating these remarks as the jury tampering they plainly resemble under Remmer v. United States and Parker v. Gladden, the State labeled them as Justice Toal cited as “foolish and fleeting” and insists they did not influence the verdict.
By framing the conduct as harmless rather than presumptively prejudicial, prosecutors are playing with words — invoking the law not to hold Hill accountable, but to sidestep the obvious implications of her actions and avoid pursuing charges that the record itself would seem to support.
Clerks of Court Face Felony Charges -Accountability Ahead
Both cases will be prosecuted by the State Grand Jury Section, led in the Staggers matter by Senior Assistant Deputy Attorney General Creighton Waters, along with Assistant Attorneys General Savanna Goude and Walt Whitmire.
The Broken Badges series will continue to follow the criminal proceedings against Staggers and Hill, as well as the broader question: Is South Carolina’s Title IV-D incentive system a legitimate enforcement tool — or an unchecked cash pipeline for corrupt public officials?
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James Seidel – Publisher, Journalist, Author. Investigator, Podcaster, Radio Talk Show Host, and Music Producer.
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