Three Beaufort County employees fired after shopping at a gun store while on the clock

Beaufort County Administrator Michael Moore fired three employees last month for visiting a gun store during working hours.

An email sent to all 11 members of the Beaufort County Council on July 16 alleged that three county employees were seen entering the Palmetto State Armory gun store at Riverwalk Business Park in Jasper County around 11 a.m. that day. The email included a photo of a county vehicle, a Ram Dually, parked outside the business as well. The source of the email has been redacted.

Council Member Tab Tabernik then forwarded the email to Moore saying “FYI for your follow-up.”

Sometime between July 16 and July 24, the three employees, whose names have not be released, were terminated from their county jobs. This was confirmed by county spokesperson Hannah Nichols on July 24. Moore said the three were terminated for “misuse of time” and “misuse of resources.”

“Those employees were not at their appointed place of work where they were supposed to be,” Moore said Friday morning. “They were not conducting their assigned duties.”

“We want the public to have confidence that the county is a good steward of taxpayer dollars. So I think that’s the key point here,” he added.

The emails detailing the series of events were obtained through a South Carolina Freedom of Information Act request.

Tabernik spoke highly of Moore’s handling of the situation.

“(Moore) reacted to it very quickly, and he investigated and did whatever he needed to do. So in my opinion, that’s what the administrator needs to do,” she said.

“He understands what to do. He’s taking charge of the employees and the running of the county. That’s my initial impression now until he proves me wrong,” Tabernik added.

Keeping promises of accountability

In a wide-ranging interview with the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette from July, the then-newly instated administrator said it wasn’t out of the question that some positions would open as he works to fill vacancies and structure county administration. Moore said, “I do have it in me,” when asked if he’d fire anyone at the time.

The emails show that days before he spoke to the newspapers Moore had already made good on his word by firing the three employees.