Rogers Mayor Addresses Media In Regards To City Attorney Behavior

STAFF PHOTO FLIP PUTTHOFF Mayor Greg Hines answers questions Friday regarding city attorney Ben Lipscomb in the Rogers council chambers.
STAFF PHOTO FLIP PUTTHOFF Mayor Greg Hines answers questions Friday regarding city attorney Ben Lipscomb in the Rogers council chambers.

ROGERS -- A former city employee told Rogers police that Ben Lipscomb, city attorney, gave him a prescription drug on more than one occasion, according to documents released Friday by Mayor Greg Hines.

Hines held a news conference Friday morning to address the police report, as well as other complaints lodged against Lipscomb. The documents were released in response to a Freedom of Information Act request.

To read the documents released Friday, go to www.nwaonline.com/d….

The allegation Lipscomb shared Xanax with Rufus Ramey, former city information technology director, is in a police report from November 2012.

Xanax is a prescription drug used to control anxiety and panic disorders.

Ramey was under investigation because of an allegation he had a subordinate, Tim Harrison, deliver prescription drugs to him at City Hall.

Ramey told police Lipscomb offered him Xanax when he was "stressed out."

"Mr. Ramey said that he and Ben Lipscomb are friends and that at various times, Mr. Lipscomb would notice that his (Ramey's) stress level was high and Mr. Lipscomb would give him 2-3 Xanax pills. Mr. Ramey said that he believed these were Mr. Lipscomb's by prescription because Mr. Lipscomb had removed the pills from a prescription bottle," the police report says.

"Mr. Ramey stated that it was always in the context of a friend helping a friend cope rather than with the intent to abuse drugs for the purpose of intoxication. Mr. Ramey said that this occurred approximately 10 times and that there was never an exchange of money or anything else of value," according to the police report.

Lipscomb said Friday he didn't share prescription drugs with Ramey or anyone else.

"I was not charged with anything, and I didn't do what Ramey said. I just didn't do it," Lipscomb said Friday.

"When I learned of Mr. Ramey's reported involvement in drugs, and Mr. Lipscomb's alleged sharing of a prescription, I sent the case to the prosecuting attorney," Hines said.

After reviewing the evidence, Van Stone, then prosecutor, didn't charge Lipscomb, Hines said.

Two attempts Friday to reach Stone at Walmart's corporate office were unsuccessful.

Two calls to Jim Clark, appointed as prosecutor following Stone's resignation, weren't returned Friday.

Stone reached an agreement with the attorney representing Ramey, who was given the option of resigning from the city or face prosecution, Hines said. Ramey and Harrison both resigned.

Hines said Harrison wasn't prosecuted.

A second police report involves an harassment complaint made in January against Lipscomb by William Horton, an attorney with Noland, Caddell & Reynolds. Horton said he was receiving harassing email from Lipscomb in regards to a case in the Rogers District Court.

Horton and Lipscomb exchanged some unprofessional email, according to the police report. No charges were filed against either attorney, Hines said.

"The city attorney did act in an unprofessional way during the email exchange," Hines said. "If the city attorney was an employee rather than an elected official, I may have terminated him, but, as I said, I have no power to direct or terminate another elected official."

Lipscomb is under investigation by a special prosecutor appointed earlier this month to "prosecute violations of Arkansas' felony and misdemeanor laws that may be revealed," according to a court document.

Mark McCune, Crawford County prosecutor, was sworn in after Clark recused when a complaint about Lipscomb was received by his office. McCune refused to comment on the case, but Lipscomb said there's no statute concerning impersonating a police officer.

"It's impersonating a law enforcement officer, and as a prosecuting attorney, I am a law enforcement officer," Lipscomb said.

A message left for McCune wasn't returned Friday.

NW News on 08/30/2014

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