Final defendant sentenced to prison in S.C. nuclear fiasco
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - The final chapter is now closed in a multi-year state and federal investigation into a failed South Carolina nuclear project.
The last defendant charged in connection with the multi-billion-dollar V.C. Summer scandal will spend a year behind bars.
State House Reporter Mary Green was there for today’s sentencing in Columbia and has the details.
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Over the last three-plus years – four defendants have been sentenced for their roles in this multi-billion-dollar fiasco – the final coming Wednesday here in federal court in Columbia.
“Four executives is what we could prove. … The four that we did bring to the courthouse and have them answer for their crimes, we’re really satisfied with those results,” said Winston Holliday with teh U.S. Attorney’s Office for South Carolina.
The nuclear project was a partnership between state-owned Santee Cooper and the now-defunct SCANA – the parent company of SCE&G, which was later acquired by Dominion Energy.
Over time, costs and delays piled up – before the plug was ultimately pulled on the project in 2017 – with no new power produced … thousands out of jobs … and ratepayers out billions of dollars.
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“This was obviously, in Judge Lewis’ word, a fiasco for the state of South Carolina. The impact on the community has been devastating,” Holliday said.
Two former SCANA executives – Kevin Marsh and Stephen Byrne – pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
Marsh was sentenced to two years in prison – and is already out – while Byrne has yet to report for his 15-month sentence.
Two former executives from Westinghouse, the contractor hired to build the nuclear reactors at the plant – also faced consequences for their roles in the scandal.
Carl Churchman pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators and spent six months under home confinement.
And on Wednesday, a federal judge handed Jeffrey Benjamin a one-year-and-one-day sentence in prison after he pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting.
The judge said Benjamin’s dishonesty was undeniable in not disclosing to SCANA that their construction schedule was not achievable – which allowed the project to continue and kept ratepayers footing the multibillion-dollar bill.
While Wednesday’s sentencing concludes the criminal portion of the debacle – it’s not the end of its impact on South Carolina.
Over at the State House, lawmakers are contemplating South Carolina’s energy future – and it’s rare a conversation goes by in those talks without V.C. Summer – and the lessons learned from its failure – being invoked.
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