A South Carolina councilwoman allegedly made a fast break with her government credit card — blowing $27,000 on a personal spending spree that included a bizarre trip to Newark to find Magic Johnson, according to reports.
Dahli Myers also allegedly laviđťshed herself with Godiva chocolates, a trip to Greece and even used the public cash to buy herself a guide to the video game Fortnite, â
She was indicted Thursday on 24 counts of public corruption for using a publiŕ˛c credit card to pay for the personalꌏ expenses, the paper said.
It’s not clear why the 52-year-old, who is the Vice Chairwoman of the Richland County Council, allegedly went to Newark to meet Johnson — and also former NFL player Richard Seymour — but she apparently wanted to discuss an undisclosed matter, the paper said.
The basketball legend had been in Newark in late September 2019 to promote hâŚealthy eđŻating at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center,
The allegedly crooked globe-trotter also swiped her card for trips to Greece and Northern Illinois UnâŚiversity.
She claimed she was going to be learning about local government in those places. But in reality the overseas jaunt was a personal trip and she traveled to Illinois for a relative’s graduation, officials said, according to the paper.
The prosecutor accused Myers of giving “demonstrably false” explanations of her spending to investigators.
Myers allegedly told them that county officials gave her the OK to fly to Houston to get a passport to attend an economic development meeting in China — but she really went to Detroit to see family.
Myers is also accused of loading up her credit card with snacks from Sam’s Club and Staples, including the Godiva chocolates, Slim Jims and drinks.
State Grand Jury Division Chief Attorney Creighton Waters said Myers tried to claim that books she’d bought from Barnes and Noble were to read to school children — but it was later revealed that one of them was a strategy book for the uber-popular video game Fortnite, according to the paper.
The county eventually caught up to the spendthrift, asking her to repay $27,000. Myers sent in a check — but then in an about-face blamed her spending on lack of oversight.
âItâs not my fault; itâs your fault because yâall werenât monitoring my card,” she allegedly told county officials, according to Waters.
The check apparently bounced anyway.
âThe county actually tried to run (the check) twice, it bounced twice, it bounced as high as Super Ball could ever bouncđ´e and when you look at her financial records, thereâs đ§¸no $27,000 there,â the prosecutor said.
Myers, who was first elected in 2016, alsoᣠfaced charges from the State Ethics Commission for allegedly failing to disclose thousands in campaign contributions and expenses, the Post and Courier reported.
They included $252 on fireworks, $53 at a wine store, about $775 on restaurants and a $1,000 subscriptionđź to a law service, the outlet saiđd.
Myers is indicted on charges including misconduct đ in office, using her government position for personal gain, embezzlement, writing a fraudulent check and misusing her campaign money forꌺ personal expenses.
A state grand jury charged her with blowing the campaign cash to cover debts owed tđo LexisNexis by her businessđ, Myers Business Lawyers, LLC.
Myers was suspended from office on Friday. But her term would’ve ended Dec. 31 following her Democratic primary loss in Council District 10 earlier this year.
She was released without bail after a court hearing Friday. Her attorney Deborah Barbier said Myers is “deeply saddened and looks forward to resolving the charges.”
Waters, meanwhile, blasted Richland County’s lack of financial oversight for playing a part in Myers’ case.
âOur investigation was made harder because of the loose way Richland County runs its financial issues,” he said in court, “and how there are many expenditures that on their face appear improper but because theyâre tolerated in Richland County, it makes it difficult for an investigation to pursue, and it needs to stop.”