Posted on Thu, Jan. 04, 2007

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Suspended coroner faces ethics charges

'Plain kickback' alleged

DAN HUNTLEY

dhuntley@charlotteobserver.com

Doug McKown

ROCK HILL - Suspended York County Coroner Doug McKown has been accused of four ethics violations and a hearing has been scheduled Jan. 17 before the S.C. Ethics Commission.

Herb Hayden, commission director, confirmed the four counts on Wednesday, saying they involved McKown using his public office for personal financial gain and using a county-owned vehicle for non-coroner business.

The alleged ethics violations are in connection with McKown's part-time work with York Pathology Associates and Carolina Mortuary. McKown had recommended that the county do business with both companies, even though he was on the payroll of both firms. McKown had told county officials that he had informed the Ethics Commission of his moonlighting with the other firms, and they had said it was permissible.

But on May 19, Ethics Commission officials denied authorizing any such arrangement with McKown and said it appeared to be a "plain kickback."

They also said they first learned of McKown's part-time work with York Pathology and Carolina Mortuary when an Observer reporter informed them.

In another development in the ethics charges, Hayden said that on Tuesday, McKown had taken the unusual step of waiving confidentiality for the Jan. 17 hearing in Columbia.

"Our hearings are normally confidential and afterward, we issue our decision publicly," Hayden said. "McKown sent us a fax saying he wanted the hearing made public."

When asked what a defendant had to gain by making the hearing public, Hayden said: "Your guess is as good as mine. ... But that's his right and it will be an open hearing for anyone to attend."

Jack Swerling, McKown's attorney, said Wednesday he could not comment on the alleged violations until he could talk to McKown today.

In July, McKown was indicted on three drug charges -- possession and conspiracy to distribute cocaine, and unlawful possession of a prescribed drug (half of a Viagra pill). The indictments are based on a May 3 incident in which McKown and his then live-in girlfriend Erin Jenkins went to a York convenience store and Jenkins sold 3 grams of cocaine for $150 to an undercover agent, according to an affidavit for a search warrant. The transaction was videotaped by police.