It’s not unusual for people to spend money to go see Magic Johnson. However, a politician using public funds to go see Magic Johnson is another matter entirely.
That is the accusation facing a South Carolina Democrat Councilwoman who stands accused of using public funds to meet the Laker legend.
According to the Post and Courier, Richland County Council Vice Chairwoman Dalhi Myers was officially indicted and suspended from office on Friday for using “her government credit card to cover personal trips to Greece, Detroit and Nashville, Tenn., and pay for chocolates, books and a cellphone.”
Myers claims the trips to Greece and Northern Illinois University were part of her attempt to grow in her knowledge about local government. However, investigators claim that the trips were personal in nature. Accusing Myers of traveling to Greece on vacation and Northern Illinois for a graduation.
Myers is also charged with using her government credit card to travel to Newark, New Jersey, to find Magic Johnson and former NFL player Richard Seymour. According to State Grand Jury Division Chief Attorney Creighton Waters, the former councilwoman wanted to speak with the men about something but it’s unclear what exactly she wanted to discuss.
“When questioned about the county expenses, Myers, a Hopkins resident who was first elected in 2016, made up false explanations for why the card purchases were legitimate county expenses, the grand jury found,” the Post and Courier reported. “The charges against Myers include misconduct in office, using her government position for personal gain, embezzlement, writing a fraudulent check and misusing her campaign money for personal expenses.”
According to Attorney Creighton Waters, the former councilwoman did not confine her alleged illegal use of public funds to travel expenses.
“She also used her government card to buy personal items at Sam’s Club and Staples — including Godiva chocolates, Slim Jims and drinks. Myers used her card for personal cellphone charges and repairs,” Waters said via the Post and Courier. “She told authorities she bought books at Barnes and Noble to read to schoolchildren and then gave the books to the children, but her purchases included a strategy book to play the online video game Fortnite.”
Myers initially agreed to pay the county back for the charged expenses. However, the Democrat councilwoman changed her mind and blamed the county for not monitoring her spending habits.
“It’s not my fault; it’s your fault because y’all weren’t monitoring my card,” Myers is reported to have said.
On Friday, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster (R, SC) suspended Myers from office despite already being set to leave office after her primary defeat. Myers faces a total of 24 charges.