Lt. Gov. Mark Darr on Monday scheduled interviews with news outlets today in Little Rock, after Senate President Pro Tempore Michael Lamoureux said he told Darr that senators would like to know whether Darr plans to resign or remain in office.
Lamoureux, a Republican from Russellville, said Darr, a Republican from Springdale, told him Monday in a text, “Please tell the members that the public will be addressed tomorrow. Bruce [Campbell] is working out details as we speak.” He said he didn’t ask Darr what he plans to tell the public.
Campbell, who is Darr’s chief of staff and a former staff member for the Senate, declined Monday to confirm or deny that Darr sent such a text.
Darr spokesman Amber Pool later scheduled separate 15-minute interviews for Darr with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and other news outlets that she said will start at 1 p.m. She declined to say what Darr intends to say.
The lieutenant governor’s wife, Kim Darr, is expected to accompany him from his home in Northwest Arkansas to his office at the state Capitol, but it’s uncertain whether she’ll sit in on the interviews, Pool said.
Darr had told Lamoureux on Thursday that he needed a few days to weigh his options, Lamoureux said.
It was unclear in legislative circles Monday afternoon what Darr intends to announce today.
Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe, all six members of the state’s U.S. congressional delegation - five Republicans and a Democrat - and several Democratic and Republican candidates for statewide office have called for Darr to tender his resignation since Darr eight days ago agreed to pay a $11,000 fine to the Arkansas Ethics Commission for 11 violations of state ethics laws and regulations.
A handful of Democratic state senators Monday joined other Democrats and Republicans suggesting that Darr quit the elected post that he has held since January 2011. About a dozen Republican state senators steered clear of saying whether Darr should tender his resignation.
The Democratic senators, who said Darr should resign, include Joyce Elliot of Little Rock, David Johnson of Little Rock, Uvalde Lindsey of Fayetteville, and Robert Thompson of Paragould. Sen. Eddie Cheatham, D-Crossett, said Darr probably should resign.
Senate Democratic leader Keith Ingram of West Memphis stopped short of calling for Darr’s resignation.
“From a Democratic standpoint, I wish he were to stay until the next election,” said Ingram. “I can’t imagine he would want to serve and be a distraction into the fiscal session [which begins Feb. 10], but only he can decide that.”
House Democratic leader Greg Leding of Fayetteville said Friday that he wants to work with House Republicans to try to impeach Darr if Darr doesn’t resign before the fiscal session. According to House Chief of Staff Gabe Holmstrom, it would take 51votes to impeach Darr in the 100-member House, which is comprised of 51 Republicans, 48 Democrats and one Green Party member.
If the House voted to impeach Darr, the 35-member Senate would hold a trial and decide whether to convict him, which would require 24 votes. The Senate is comprised of 21 Republicans and 13 Democrats and a vacant seat.
Sen. Jane English, R-North Little Rock, declined Monday to say whether Darr should resign as lieutenant governor.
“In time, people do the right thing,” she explained. “I am not jumping on the bandwagon.”
Senate Republican Whip Jonathan Dismang of Searcy added, “At this point, I am not prepared to say what [Darr] should do.”
Sen. Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, said Darr should be given a few weeks to make a decision, though he declined to take a stance on whether Darr should resign.
He said it’s unfair to compare Darr’s problems with those of former Democratic state Treasurer Martha Shoffner of Newport, who resigned in May, and former Democratic Sen. Paul Bookout of Jonesboro, who resigned in August after misusing campaign funds.
Hester said he would like Darr to get “his side out” before deciding whether to stay or quit.
“At the end of the day, Mark has made some mistakes, but not to the extreme” of either Shoffner and Bookout, according to Hester.
But several Democratic state senators Monday likened Darr’s ethics violations to those that led to Bookout’s resignation.
The lieutenant governor’s primary duties are to preside over the state Senate when it’s in session and to serve as acting governor when the governor is out of state. The elected post is considered to be part-time and is paid $41,896 a year.
Last week the Ethics Commission sanctioned Darr for the personal use of more than $31,000 in campaign funds, the personal 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.
Last month, Darr apologized for any mistakes that he or his office made.
Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney Larry Jegley said Friday that he’s reviewing the reports from the ethics commission and Division of Legislative Audit.
Darr is the latest public official to face legal scrutiny.
In May, Shoffner resigned from office after she was arrested by FBI agents in her Newport home.
She has pleaded innocent to six counts of extortion, one count of attempted extortion and seven counts of accepting a bribe as an agent of state government. Her trial is set for March.
Bookout resigned from office in August after a special prosecutor was appointed to review his personal use of more than $53,000 in campaign funds and after the state Ethics Commission fined him $8,000 for four violations of state ethics laws.
Front Section, Pages 1 on 01/07/2014