A Lexington County grand jury indicted Swansea Mayor Jerald Sanders Monday.

Gov. Henry McMaster suspended Sanders from office after the indictments but has not indicated who would take his place.

Sanders’ removal raises questions of who is the legal mayor. In most towns, the mayor pro tem would become interim mayor until a special election can be held.

Mayor Pro Tem Woodrow Davis was appointed by the mayor but council members say they have not approved his appointment.

Sanders is charged with 1 felony count, embezzlement of town funds less than $10,000, according to Robert Kittle of the SC Attorney General’s office. That charge carries prison time up to 5 years and restitution of money embezzled.

A 2nd count, a misdemeanor, is for misappropriating town funds for his personal use which requires restitution of money taken.

The charges were brought against Sanders by Attorney General Alan Wilson’s office based on the results of a SLED investigation.

A well-placed source told the Chronicle that SLED was taking steps to make sure the mayor did not flee before he could be arrested. Former Chronicle reporter Paul Kirby reported on the Lexington Ledger website:

• Several council members and previous town employees have charged that Mayor Sanders misused public funds and hid records that would prove it.

• Several times, members of the town council had to make an appointment through Sanders to look at detailed financial records. • On the date and time

• On the date and time of that appointment, Sanders always seemed to have some reason why it would have to be postponed.

“At one point, he said we could come look at the financial records on a Monday,” Council member Doris Simmons told the Ledger.

“When Monday rolled around, we showed up with the attorney we retained only to be told that Sanders had forgotten that it was a government holiday, and all the office staff was off.

“We were turned away that day and that is just one example ...,” she said.