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South Carolina AG finds 'no criminal intent' surrounding $21M in failed Panthers project

Workers at the planned Carolina Panthers site in 2021. Construction never got much past this point before the project was terminated.
Chris Carlson
/
AP File Photo
Workers at the planned Carolina Panthers site in 2021. Construction did not get much past this point before the project was terminated.

A 21-month investigation into a failed Carolina Panthers project in Rock Hill “reveals no criminal intent on the part of anyone involved,” according to a letter from the state Attorney General’s Office to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.

The conclusion centers on the use of $21 million in taxpayer money designated toward a roadway connecting Mt. Gallant Road to the planned site of a massive sports and entertainment complex anchored by the NFL’s Panthers in the city.

The AG’s Office concluded that the land development agreement between the city, York County, and GTRE – the investment LLC at the heart of the planned $800 million project – did not formally “provide for an escrow, segregation, or procurement process for disbursement of county money.” The letter also stated that “reasonable but differing” interpretations of contractual language amounted to “an unfortunate situation,” but fall short of any criminal culpability.

“The Solicitor took the position that as long as the County’s roadway tax money was going to be returned to the County following the demise of the Panthers facility project, then there could be no criminal intent on the part of GTRE or related entities,” the letter states. “It appears that the civil claims have been resolved to the satisfaction of the various parties.”

Scott Morgan is the Upstate multimedia reporter for South Carolina Public Radio, based in Rock Hill. He cut his teeth as a newspaper reporter and editor in New Jersey before finding a home in public radio in Texas. Scott joined South Carolina Public Radio in March of 2019. His work has appeared in numerous national and regional publications as well as on NPR and MSNBC. He's won numerous state, regional, and national awards for his work including a national Edward R. Murrow.