SANTEE - A disturbance at a Santee-area business on Oct. 15 and a complaint filed with the Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office has prompted officials to launch what a spokesman says is an "ongoing inquiry."

Dozens of cars were parked in the yard of Gilmore Tax Service just outside the Santee town limits, and cars also lined Loredo Street and its intersection with Old Number Six Highway on Oct. 15.

"Deputies responded to a disturbance at Gilmore Tax Service in regard to individuals complaining they had given money to the business owner in an attempt to retrieve money from a class action lawsuit," Sheriff's Office spokesperson Keisa Peterson said.

Individuals claimed they were told they could file forms for a $25 fee at Gilmore Tax Service and receive $50,000 from the Pigford, or black farmers', class action lawsuit, according to a Sheriff's Office incident report.

"The Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office has an ongoing inquiry," Peterson said. She said an "ongoing inquiry" means, "It's of interest to us what is taking place at Gilmore Tax Service." No one has been charged with any crime.

Peterson said Sheriff Larry Williams and deputies have visited the business.

A Georgia woman contacted the Sheriff's Office after her sister, who lives in Holly Hill, told her about the money that was reportedly available through Gilmore Tax Service, according to the incident report.

The report said four deputies visited the business that afternoon, and owner William Gilmore told them he had been trained by Congressman James Clyburn's Office, attorney Quinton Robinson of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Strom Law Firm and the Morgan & Morgan Law Firm on to "how to file the client questionnaire and the Pigford Claim Retainer Agreement."

"Pigford," the informal case name, refers to one of the original plaintiffs in what has also been called the black farmers' lawsuit. As a result of the lawsuit, the USDA agreed to pay eligible farmers for past discrimination in lending and other USDA programs.

The Times and Democrat called Gilmore Tax Service personnel but they declined comment.

Attorneys with both the Strom Law Firm and Morgan & Morgan told The T&D they didn't know William Gilmore, and a spokesperson at Congressman Clyburn's office denied training the Santee businessman.

Hope Derrick of Clyburn's office said, "No one from Congressman Clyburn's office has had any contact or provided any training to Mr. Gilmore or his associates at Gilmore Tax Service. There is no active class action lawsuit on behalf of black farmers, and we are not aware of any that are pending. The Pigford Claim (case) was closed in September 2000, and there are no plans to reopen the case."

Attorney Greg Francis of Morgan & Morgan, a Florida-based firm, said Friday he "never heard of him (Gilmore)" and the firm had "no affiliation with Gilmore whatsoever."

Pete Strom of Strom Law Firm in Columbia told the T&D on Friday his firm has, "no involvement with him (Gilmore) whatsoever."

Strom said, "There is a court order in place in Washington, D.C. which prohibits charging a potential claimant to fill out a form concerning the Pigford Case."

"I believe Mr. Gilmore should return any funds he has received from individuals for filling out black farmer claim forms," he said.

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T&D Correspondent Martha Rose Brown can be reached by e-mail at marfawose@aol.com. Discuss this and other stories at TheTandD.com.

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