Greenway accuser fires away at $36,000 blankets, coercion attempts, harassment, firing

Beaufort County Interim Administrator John Robinson confirmed Monday that the controversy swirling around the mysterious procurement of weighted blankets is under investigation.

In April, Beaufort County received a $35,644 invoice from R&R Home for an order of 587 weighted blankets with the contact information listed as “(Wellness) Eric Greenway.” The R&R Home invoice came from a company owned by the husband of the county’s Deputy Administrator Whitney Richland. The document was first uncovered by FITSNews, an independent news site that focuses on government accountability. The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette have since independently confirmed the validity of the invoice.

Lisa Lynch, the former Wellness Director for the county and a self-described “witness” in the solicitor’s office ongoing criminal investigation of fired county administrator Eric Greenway, provided previously unknown details on the blanket invoice question and other topics during a wide-ranging interview with The Island Packet last week. These details included her denying any involvement in the blanket purchase or subsequent invoice.

Beaufort County government’s July was tumultuous

Once the sheriff’s office announced that Greenway was under investigation on July 3, the county was slow to take any action. Seven days later, on July 10, the county council said no changes would be made to the county administrator’s duties until the investigation was complete. On July 24, council changed course and voted to suspend Greenway with pay. On July 28 council voted to terminate Greenway. Council members and Chairman Passiment have been silent on what changed between early July and the final decision.

In addition to questions about the blanket invoice, Lynch spoke about being fired on July 25, her personal and professional relationship with Greenway, including the consulting contract she was awarded, the full-time position Greenway ultimately created for her, and harassment she says she was subjected to when she turned down her boss’ advancements and how she believes the county ended her employment for filing complaints and speaking to investigators.

Among the new details, according to Lynch:

• Greenway and Lynch met in the fall of 2022. They went on a few dates but were never a couple. In December of 2022, Lynch and her sister-in-law formed a company called Elementzal LLC. A month later, Greenway hired the company on a consulting basis to provide strategies and guidance related to drug abuse prevention. Three months later, Lynch was hired full time as Wellness Director, a position Greenway created at a salary of $108,000 a year plus benefits.

• Greenway attempted to pressure Lynch into using her consulting company, Elementzal, to buy the weighted blankets so that the county could then purchase them from her company, Lynch says. Greenway’s proposal to Lynch would have made it more difficult for anyone to link the purchase between the county and the company owned by the spouse of Deputy County Administrator Whitney Richland.

• In text messages Lynch provided to the newspapers, Greenway wrote to Lynch, “I’ve created this (county) job for you, it will be set up for you as you need it to be for security and comfort.” Lynch says she insisted on not receiving favorable treatment. One of the people who interviewed her was Whitney Richland.

• While Lynch’s claims of Greenway’s harassment have been previously reported - in the interview - she says the county determined Greenway’s actions did not rise to the level of “actionable harassment.”

• The county did not give her a reason for her firing other than that she was still within her probationary period and that her work to that point was not satisfactory.

Greenway denies any wrongdoing and believes he was wrongfully terminated by the council.

“The harassment allegations were initially reviewed by the Beaufort County legal team, who found no evidence of harassment.”

Greenway told the Island Packet, “Ms. Lynch then filed a complaint with the HR Department and a third party, (an) outside attorney also reviewed and found no evidence of harassment.”

The county has made only vague comments regarding the whole situation, but Lynch’s attorney says he has been informed the county has no interest in rehiring her.

The mystery of $35,644 in weighted blankets

While under contract with the county, Lynch claims Greenway pressured her to purchase the weighted blankets from an outside vendor (R&R Home) through Elementzal and he then said the county would then purchase the blankets from her company. Lynch says she didn’t even discussed it with her business partner because they “simply weren’t going to do it.”

The mystery surrounding the blankets continues to be murky but here’s what the documents and interviews reveal: There is an April 21 invoice addressed to the county’s Ribaut Road address for $35,644.70 for the blankets with a 30-day payment term and the 8,000 pound shipping expense included.

Former County Administrator Eric Greenway, whose name appears on the invoice says, “Beaufort County did not purchase the blankets.” Former Wellness Director Lisa Lynch said she was surprised to see the invoice for the blankets on social media.

Interim County Administrator John Robinson was asked Monday about the blanket invoice / purchase and replied, “I don’t have a comment I can share.” But he confirmed this matter is under investigation.

An itemized invoice was dated three days before Lynch says she started her position.

The supplier was a Midway, Georgia-based company listed on the invoice as R&R Home. The parent company is listed on state documents as Richland Trading Company LLC. Owner Andrew Richland is the husband of Deputy County Administrator Whitney Richland.

The company’s Georgia State Certificate of Organization lists its legal address as the same address Beaufort County property records show to be the current home of the Richlands.

Further, on her personal Facebook page, Richland openly promotes R&R Home in multiple posts referring to the product as “our blankets.”

Greenway did confirm there were conversations about a potential purchase. However, he denies that the county actually acquired the blankets saying, “the purchase was stopped.”

“A variety of reasons existed for considering the purchase of the blankets,” he said “After receiving input, we felt the blankets could be useful tools in the addiction and mental illness initiatives the county had planned.”

Greenway also claims that Lynch was involved in the initial discussion surrounding the blankets and even ‘agreed they could serve a useful purpose,” he said.

During the interview with the newspapers, Lynch characterized the blankets as too expensive and unnecessary for her department.

Neither Richland nor her husband responded to multiple calls from the Island Packet / Beaufort Gazette regarding the invoice generated from R&R home to the county.

How it started

Lynch and Greenway first met through a mutual friend, former Mt. Pleasant councilperson Ken Glasson.

In January, a few months after their initial introduction and only a month after Lynch’s company formed its LLC, Greenway, on behalf of Beaufort County, entered into an agreement with Elementzal LLC to provide strategies and guidance related to drug abuse prevention. Lynch and her sister-in-law, Angie Hassinger ran the company. The full scope of the services they provided are unclear, but Lynch said they were focused on consulting work to the county to improve opioid abuse prevention.

Elementzal’s Lynch and Hassinger were paid a total of $65,993 through the first six months of 2023 from funds that, Lynch believes, came to the county from the South Carolina opioid relief settlement. The settlement was one with pharmaceutical and pharmacy companies that were involved in opioid litigation. Beaufort County requested nearly a million dollars.

On Elementzal’s website, Greenway gives a glowing five-star endorsement of the company. It is not clear when the endorsement was made.

From county contractor to county staff director

After Greenway’s text arrived with his comments about “creating a job” for her, Lynch says she insisted that the job be posted and that she wanted the hiring process to be done “the way it should be done,” without any favoritism.

Lynch said her request was granted and she was interviewed by Deputy County Administrator Whitney Richland and Special Assistant to County Administrator Hank Amundson.

Greenway told the newspapers it was his understanding that the position was “posted in all appropriate locations” and that Lynch was the only applicant for it.

Lynch says she “made it very clear” to Greenway before accepting the position that she was dating someone and wasn’t interested in dating Greenway.

It is not yet clear how Lynch’s hiring affected the county’s contract with Elementzal or whether payments continued while Lynch was employed by the county. Lynch’s offer letter does not mention Elementzal or if or when wellness department responsibilities were being transferred. Lynch’s offer letter carried an effective date of April 17, but Lynch says her first day was April 24.

The Island Packet / Beaufort Gazette have requested documents related to these questions, and the county is in the process of fulfilling the Freedom of Information Act request.

Asked what duties she had as Wellness Director, Lynch said she was to develop opioid addiction, prevention and treatment programs, as well as advertising campaigns. She said one of her first duties was to work with Beaufort County schools.

Here position and the wellness department were funded through the council adopted budget, according to Greenway.

A loss of “trust and affinity”

The relationship between Lynch and Greenway soured quickly, she said.

In early May, after Lynch brought her boyfriend to a party attended by Greenway, she said the administrator texted his displeasure. “Be aware of what you gave up tonight and what this will cost you,” the text reads. “But have f***ing fun because you are now just an employee of Beaufort County and I’ve lost all trust and affinity for you!”

Lynch says she complained to County Council Chairman Joe Passiment about Greenway’s behavior. Lynch says she was interviewed as part of an inquiry, and believes Greenway was as well, but nothing came of it. “I was called and told it did not rise to the level of actionable harassment,” she said.

Lynch was fired July 25, one day after Greenway was put on paid leave. In total, she was in the Wellness Director role for 74 days.

Lynch says she did not receive a termination letter but rather a standard one-page county “Personnel Change / Action Authorization Form” with this explanation, “Employee is within probationary period and has not provided a satisfactory level work for which is required in the role of Director of Wellness.”

Lynch says she worked hard in her job, “I think there were probably several reasons (for her firing). I think it was a direct result of me filing a complaint. Also, in retaliation for the fact that they found out that I was asked to cooperate with a criminal investigation.”

Lynch says she wants her job back and plans to file an unjust termination claim with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Criminal Investigation

The recent developments are not the only time Greenway’s decisions have raised questions.

In April, The Packet reported that Greenway had created a new, six-figure department head job that went to a man who had previously sued the county for creating a hostile work environment and discriminating against him. Greenway had previously worked with the man and would later describe him as a “friend” to the newspaper.

And in May, The Packet reported about a county warehouse that had been retrofitted for volleyball and leased at a heavily discounted rate to a local travel and training club run by someone who lived on Greenway’s street. Greenway worked out the deal himself, without the knowledge of the parks and recreation advisory board, who sets rates.

Investigators have not said specifically what they are investigating, and Lynch said she knew little about the investigation, only that she has been told by investigators that she is a key witness.

Lynch’s attorney, Tim Lewis, says one thing is certain.

“What they made clear was, they believed Lisa had knowledge of some of the criminal acts that would potentially create criminal liability,” Lewis said.