ANDERSON — 10th Circuit Solicitor Chrissy Adams said that Attorney General Henry McMaster’s office has been asked to look into the Joey Preston investigation.

“After repeated requests and countless conversations with local officials who to date have not provided any specific information for our office to review, we have been unable to make an evaluation on whether charges should be pressed against Mr. Preston or any other county officials/employees,” Adams said in a written statement.

Adams also said in the statement:

“The Attorney General’s office has now been asked to look into the Preston investigation and convene a statewide grand jury which possesses greater investigative powers than possible under a local Anderson County grand jury. I have spoken with the Attorney General’s office and believe this will be the best course of action at this point because the statewide grand jury provides for subpoena power that does not exist with a local grand jury. SC Code Section 14-7-1610(C) of SC Code states in part.... ….that a state grand jury possessing considerably broader investigative authority than individual grand juries should be available to investigate public corruption offenses in SC….. After several months and hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars spent on this investigation, I hope that the involvement of the Attorney General’s office can finally bring the taxpayers of Anderson County the answers they deserve.”

Preston is the former county administrator who received a $1.14 million severance package in 2008 — which was approved by the former county council. The current county council has filed a lawsuit to try to recoup the money.