What now, Mark Darr?
Shouldn’t you be leaving oft ce soon?
Some newspapers, including this one, have already called for the lieutenant governor’s resignation in light of recent reports from the state Ethics Commission.
Count this as more encouragement for Darr to do himself and the Arkansas Republican Party a favor by quitting now.
The only reason he could have for holding off is some false hope the state Ethics Commission itself won’t sanction him for offenses the commission staff acknowledged before Christmas.
Darr may also falsely think a prosecutor’s inquiry into other allegations won’t lead to more problems for him.
The Ethics Commission hasn’t announced its fi nal action, but the staff said recently Darr may have improperly spent more than $44,000 in public funds and campaign contributions and may have violated up to a dozen state ethics laws.
Gov. Mike Beebe and others, including Republican Party oft cials, have declined to urge Darr’s exit. They are justifiably awaiting the commission’s action.
For the record, Darrhas answered some of the allegations against him, claiming they were mistakes and saying he’ll repay the money.
The ethics inquiry isn’t all that confronts Darr. He is also dealing with allegations he might have double-dipped, repaying himself for expenses with both campaign funds and state funds and racking up unauthorized travel expenses.
A legislative audit of the lieutenant governor’s oft ce earlier found Darr owes the state around $9,000 for unauthorized travel expenses.
Among the expenses, Darr charged the state for his commutes between his Springdale home and Little Rock.
The audit could soon turn into a grand jury probe.
Pulaski County Prosecutor Larry Jegley has said he may ask that county’s Quorum Court to fund a grand jury review of allegations against Darr and others.
Elected lieutenant governor in 2010, Darr previouslyowned a popular pizza parlor in Northwest Arkansas. Yet the political newbie won state oftce in a race against a veteran Democratic legislator, Shane Broadway of Bryant, now the state’s director of higher education.
Remember, that 2010 race - Darr’s first bid for public oftce of any kind - came in a year when candidates with an “R” beside their names made several surprise wins.
The success prompted Darr to consider races for governor and for Congress in 2014. But his political future is all but non-existent now.
Back in the summer, before any of these revelations about his finances, he had made the choice to run for Congress, announcing a bid for the state’s 4th Congressional District seat. He was all set to sell his Springdale home and move into the 4th District when the questions started cropping up over how he had handled public money and campaign funds.
Formidable opposition also began building in the congressional race, and Darr wisely backed out.
The only question now is whether, with all this baggage, he’ll seek re-election. To say the least, the likelihood of a second term for Darr is slim.
Whether he made “mistakes,” or did something worse, the political damage is done.
But the damage doesn’tstop with Darr. The Republican Party is taking a hit, too, just as the Democratic Party has had to absorb serious blows from some high-profi le oft ceholders’ “mistakes.”
The difference is the Democrats who strayed in 2013 resigned their oft ces.
Former state Sen. Paul Bookout, D-Jonesboro, quickly resigned in August after he was fined by the Ethics Commission for converting campaign funds to personal use. He may yet face criminal charges.
Former state Treasurer Martha Shoff ner, D-Newport, quit her oftce in May. She delayed resignation briefl y but finally left oft ce. Shoff ner faces federal charges for extortion and accepting bribes in oft ce.
None of this is good for Arkansas or for the political perceptions the people of this state hold, which is why both the parties and politicians of all stripes should - and probably will - eventually decry Darr’s continuation in public oft ce.
The lieutenant governor is next in the line of succession to the governor, and this lieutenant governor shouldn’t be allowed anywhere close to that oft ce.
BRENDA BLAGG IS A FREELANCE COLUMNIST AND LONGTIME JOURNALIST IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.
Opinion, Pages 10 on 12/29/2013