WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina | Lancaster Co. investigate dealings with media company

Lancaster Co. investigate dealings with media company

(Lancaster-AP) Sept. 10, 2003 - Lancaster County Council has decided to investigate the county's financial deals with Front Door Communications.

The council Monday asked the county auditor, county prosecutors and the State Law Enforcement Division to review its transactions with the media company, including about $635,000 in incentive money.

Since it was announced last October, Front Door President says Robert Davis says the project has been scaled back from an investment of $150 million to $65 million over the next 24 months. Davis says the deal will now create 386 jobs.

Lancaster County says a $500,000 check from Front Door bounced, but Davis says the company presented the check as a hope check, "We were told that in the next three or four business days, they could submit the check and the check would be made good." Instead, he says, the council attempted to deposit the check without FrontDoor's consent. 

In August the Lancaster County Council voted unanimously to ask a law firm to look into civil action against Front Door.

Front Door publishes FrontDoor Magazine, distributed in Charlotte and Raleigh, with a total circulation of about 100,000.

updated 4:22pm by Chris Rees