Former Lexington GOP chairman and Rotary Club Foundation treasurer arrested after allegedly taking over $100,000 from organizations

A Lexington County man has been charged with two counts of breach of trust with intent to defraud after stealing over $60,000 from the Lexington County Republican Party and over $50,000 from the Lexington Rotary Club Foundation.

Craig Thomas Caldwell served as chairman of the Lexington County Republican Party from 2016 to 2023 and is accused of withdrawing $61,591 from the party’s account to his personal account in 147 transfers between 2018 and 2023, according to arrest warrants from the South Carolina Department of Law Enforcement.

“Caldwell also admitted to covering up these transfers by falsifying the monthly treasurer’s reports to present to other party members,” an arrest warrant states.

He is also alleged to have embezzled $52,300 from the Lexington Rotary Club Foundation from May 16, 2023, to March 23, 2024.

“During his tenure as treasurer, Caldwell wrote 11 checks from the foundation’s account to himself,” an arrest warrant states. “Caldwell attempted to conceal the withdrawals from other board members by not entering the checks into their accounting software (QuickBooks).”

Caldwell was booked into the Lexington County Detention Center and the case is being prosecuted by the 8th District Court District Attorney’s Office.