Beaufort County, South Carolina

The South Carolina Environmental Law Project (SCELP) says Beaufort County violated the state's Freedom of Information Act by allowing developer Elvio Tropeano and attorney Ellis Lesemann — both parties to lawsuits against the county — into a Sept. 14 executive session. County spokesperson Hannah Nichols confirmed their presence but said council can invite whomever it chooses and that the pair left before legal advice was given. SCELP's Leslie Lenhardt argues attorney-client privilege doesn't extend to adverse parties and that the session amounted to secret settlement talks, a view echoed by a South Carolina Press Association attorney.

The dispute centers on Pine Island, a 502-acre property where developers have sought a zoning variance to build a golf resort, blocked by the St. Helena Island Cultural Protection Overlay. Two federal lawsuits followed the county's denial; one was dismissed and is on appeal, the other stayed pending that ruling. The Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition, an intervener defending the county, says it was wrongly excluded and wants a role in any settlement talks. The issue returns to council's Sept. 28 agenda.

Sen. Darline Graham defeated Rep. Ralph Norman 52% to 48% in South Carolina's Republican runoff for the Senate seat held by her brother Lindsey Graham for 23 years before his death in July. Gov. Henry McMaster had appointed her to fill the seat temporarily, and President Trump endorsed her bid for a full term, holding a tele-rally and headlining a Myrtle Beach rally while directing more than $800,000 from his super PAC, MAGA Inc., toward her campaign. Norman, a five-term congressman who largely self-funded his campaign and drew roughly $700,000 in outside spending tied to Nikki Haley, conceded but noted lingering bitterness among his supporters over Trump's involvement. Graham had weathered criticism after admitting during an August debate she was "not that informed on national security," shifting her campaign's focus to domestic issues and her brother's legacy. She now advances to face Democrat Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, in the November 3 general election for the seat, considered a safe Republican hold.

The result, alongside a narrow Trump-backed win in Oklahoma's gubernatorial runoff, reinforces the president's continued sway in GOP primaries despite recent Trump-endorsed losses elsewhere, including Wyoming and Florida.