SC governor signs bill on inspector general

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has signed a bill that sets up the office of the state inspector general to investigate allegations of fraud, waste and abuse in state government.

Haley held a ceremonial signing on Thursday, a day after actually signing the bill into law.

It expands the authority of the inspector general, giving him the authority to investigate all agencies, not just those in the Cabinet. It also provides subpoena power.

Haley appointed Jim Martin as the state’s second inspector general last June. She had created the post by executive order last March. But the first inspector general, George Schroeder, left seven weeks later amid concerns about the operation’s independence.

The law will expand the four-person office into a separate agency with its own budget.