Arkansas House Democrats will cooperate with House Republicans on impeaching Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Darr if Darr doesn’t resign by the start of the fiscal session Feb. 10, House Democratic leader Greg Leding said Friday.
Until then, legislators won’t rush to remove him.
“We are not in a big hurry,” the Fayetteville representative said.
After Republican Reps. Debra Hobbs of Rogers and Andy Mayberry of East End called Thursday for Darr’s resignation, “we are certainly willing to work with Republicans to pursue impeachment,” Leding said.
The House has 51 Republicans, 48 Democrats and one Green Party member.
House Republican leader Bruce Westerman of Hot Springs said he’s more than happy to meet with Leding in person to discuss any issues important to Arkansans.
Westerman, who is seeking the Republican nomination in the 4th Congressional District, said in a written statement that Leding “has not contacted me with anyof his concerns or plans. He can contact me anytime.
“I will be back in Little Rock on Tuesday and invite him to come to my office at 9:00 a.m. if he would like to discuss this issue or any others,” he said.
Darr’s spokesman, Amber Pool, declined Friday to say whether Darr is considering resigning in the next few days.Darr could not be reached for comment by cellphone. Thursday, Senate President Pro Tempore Michael Lamoureux, R-Russellville, said Darr had told him earlier in the day that he would be weighing his options in the coming days.
With Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe attending a college bowl game this weekend in Mobile, Ala., Darr plans to be with his family in Northwest Arkansas while he’s acting governor, according to a written statement issued by Pool.
Darr “is hoping he will get to watch the football game,” Pool said, explaining later that the lieutenant governor wants to view several games on television.
A lieutenant governor primarily presides over the state Senate when it’s in session and acts as governor when the governor is outside the state.
All constitutional officers, judges and prosecuting attorneys are subject to impeachment for “high crimes and misdemeanors and gross misconduct in office” under Article 15, Section 1 and 2.
Impeachment proceedings begin in the House.
Fifty-one votes would be required to impeach Darr and send the matter to the Senate for a trial, where a two-thirds vote would be required for conviction, said House Chief of Staff Gabe Holmstrom. The Senate has 21 Republicans and 13 Democrats with one vacant seat to be filled in a Jan. 14 special election in Craighead County.
House Speaker Davy Carter, R-Cabot, wouldn’t take action to start impeachment proceedings unless at least 51 members have indicated a willingness to move forward, and not a single representative had urged Carter to start the process as of Friday afternoon, Holmstrom said.
Leding said later Friday that he hasn’t talked with Carter about starting impeachment proceedings, though “next week if the lieutenant governor is still around we will begin discussions.”
He said that he wouldn’t be surprised if Darr resigned before the fiscal session begins Feb. 10, though he said he hasn’t talked with Darr.
House Democratic Whip Joe Jett of Success said House Democrats’ discussions about the possibility of impeaching Darr picked up steam late Thursday afternoon in case “this thing keeps dragging out.”
“My wishes were [that Darr] just resign and we can go about our business,” said Jett, who called for the resignation of Democratic Sen. Paul Bookout of Jonesboro before Bookout stepped down Aug. 20.
The House Democratic Caucus didn’t call for Bookout’s resignation after its members received indications that Bookout intended to resign and needed time to work out the details, Leding said.
Bookout resigned after he was fined $8,000 by the Arkansas Ethics Commission for four ethics violations, including the personal use of more than $53,000 in campaign funds, and a special prosecutor was appointed to review the case.
On Monday, Darr agreed in a settlement with the Ethics Commission to pay a $11,000 fine for 11 violations of ethics laws and regulations, including the personal use of more than $31,000 in campaign funds. He also was sanctioned for personal use of more than $3,500 in expenses charged to a state-issued credit card and receiving more than $3,500 in improper travel reimbursements.
Darr has said he didn’t intentionally take money that he was not entitled to, and blamed inadequate record-keeping and campaign-finance reports for the violations.
Last month, the Legislative Audit Division said Darr received $9,298 in improper mileage reimbursements for more than 22,000 personal vehicle miles, after reviewing Darr’s travel expenses between January 2011 and September 2013. Auditors said Darr also made personal purchases on a government credit card totaling more than $2,300.
Auditors recommended that Darr reimburse the state $9,836 for excess travel reimbursements and expenses; his spokesman has said Darr is making arrangements to repay the money.
Asked whether he would vote to impeach Darr, Mayberry, who is seeking the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor, said, “I am still hopeful that Lt. Gov. Darr will make the right decision and resign from office.
“In other words, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, and hopefully we won’t come to it,” he said.
Asked whether she would vote to impeach Darr, Hobbs, who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor, said she’s not sure.
“I need to do some research on parameters for impeachment. I hope he will resign before a vote is taken,” she said.
Rep. Kelley Linck of Flippin, chairman of the House Republican Caucus’ Election Committee, said he doubted that the House would have to consider impeaching Darr in the fiscal session.
“In the world of politics a month and a half is a lot of time. I think this probably will work itself out by then,” he said.
Jonesboro Republican John Cooper, who is seeking the Senate seat formerly held by Bookout in a Jan. 14 special election, said he might be serving in the Senate hearing an impeachment case against Darr in the future and should keep an open mind.
But he added that it“would probably be better if [Darr] resigned as lieutenant governor” from a practical standpoint because Darr has lost the credibility and confidence of the public.
Jonesboro Democrat Steve Rockwell, who also is seeking Bookout’s former Senate seat, said in a written statement that he agrees with the Republicans and Democrats urging Darr to step down.
Beebe, several Democratic and Republican candidates for statewide offices, and all six members of the state’s congressional delegation- five Republicans and a Democrat - have suggested Darr tender his resignation from the post the former pizza-business owner has held since January 2011.
Front Section, Pages 1 on 01/04/2014