Jasper Co. treasurer under investigation for alleged threats
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The Jasper County Treasurer is under criminal investigation for allegedly threatening staff. He could also be investigated for the misuse of public funds by making bonus payments to staff within his office.
During a specially called meeting Friday morning, county leaders convened in a closed-door session to discuss the ongoing threat investigation. The discussion centered on accusations that the treasurer, Michael Skinner, threatened other staff by “suggesting potential gun violence toward them,” according to the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office.
The county added “emergency safety measures” for staff members coming out of the private meeting.
The sheriff’s office was aware of allegations that the treasurer made comments “suggesting potential gun violence” toward staff members, and called in the state’s law enforcement division to conduct an independent investigation.
A spokesperson with SLED confirmed that the agency has one open and ongoing investigation involving alleged unlawful communication involving a Jasper County government employee.
County officials also discussed “impermissible bonus payments” made by the treasurer and “misappropriation of public funds,” during the meeting.
The sheriff’s office told The Island Packet that they handed this issue off to SLED, but according to a SLED spokesperson, they only had the one open investigation into this matter as of 12:40 p.m. Friday. A resolution by the county said that the information would be referred to SLED for further investigation.
In a letter to council in 2023, the county attorney said he had received questions concerning how funds collected by the treasurer and auditor for license plate renewal decals were being distributed, according to documents released by the county. It was of the treasurer’s opinion that the funds could be used to enhance his staff’s salaries, according to the letter.
Situated between tourism-fueled areas like Bluffton, Hilton Head and Savannah, Jasper County has been shaped by regional growth pressures that are increasingly intertwined with Beaufort County through shared economic activity, infrastructure demands and regional planning efforts. The U.S. Census says it’s one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation.
Several planned developments like Sun City span both counties, creating neighborhoods where one side of the street may be in Beaufort County and the other is in Jasper County.
Jasper County Administrator Andrew Fulghum said he was unable to comment on the matter before the meeting.
Correction: A previous version of this article said Jasper County was under investigation by SLED for misappropriation of public funds and that no wrongdoing had been found in the threat investigation, per the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office. A SLED spokesperson confirmed with The Island Packet that they only had one active investigation open at the time of publication regarding “unlawful communication involving a Jasper County government employee.”
This story was originally published December 12, 2025 at 11:22 AM.
