Resigning Feb. 1, Darr says

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/BENJAMIN KRAIN --1/7/2014--
Lt. Gov Mark Darr tells reporters Tuesday that he has no intention of resigning after ethical violations surfaced last week.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/BENJAMIN KRAIN --1/7/2014-- Lt. Gov Mark Darr tells reporters Tuesday that he has no intention of resigning after ethical violations surfaced last week.

Lt. Gov. Mark Darr said Friday night that he’s resigning, his exit effective Feb. 1.

Darr, a Springdale Republican, tendered his resignation three days after he rejected calls by Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe, the state’s congressional delegation, and several Democratic and Republican candidates for statewide office to quit his $41,896-a-year state job.

Pressure on Darr to resign began after he agreed Dec. 30 to pay an $11,000 fine to the state Ethics Commission for 11 violations of state ethics laws and regulations, including the personal use of more than $31,000 in campaign funds.

Tuesday, House Republican leader Bruce Westerman of Hot Springs said Darr’s impeachment would be “inevitable” unless he stepped down.

Darr explained in a news release that “it has been my desire to share the facts and I feel this has been accomplished.

“I have been honest, forthright and acted with integrity. I made mistakes, but not one with malicious intent,” he said.

Darr said he spoke to Senate President Pro Tempore Michael Lamoureux, R-Russellville, and House Speaker Davy Carter, R-Cabot, to notify them of his decision to resign.

“They agree with me it is in the best interest for me, my family and the state at this point. I respect these two men for their concern; not just for the state but for me and my family,” he said.

Darr, a former pizzeria owner who was elected as lieutenant governor in 2010 in his first bid for public office, said politics “can be a toxic business.”

“I will no longer subject my family to its hard lessons. All my forgiveness to those who play the games and all my respect and appreciation to those who serve with class and humility,” he said.

House Democratic leader Greg Leding of Fayetteville said he doesn’t think “anyone in the Legislature viewed this as a game. Nobody was happy about being in this situation. Nobody was looking forward to impeachment with any kind of eagerness.”

Beebe learned about Darr’s announcement from gubernatorial spokesman Matt DeCample - not from the lieutenant governor - after Darr announced his resignation, DeCample said.

The governor believes Darr’s resignation is “the best thing for Mr. Darr and the state,” DeCample said.

Beebe on Monday will start considering how to deal with the Darr’s exit, including whether state law requires the governor to declare a vacancy and call a special election within 150 days after the lieutenant governor departs the office, DeCample said. On Thursday, Beebe said he might ask Democratic Attorney General Dustin McDaniel for an advisory opinion on the matter.

In August 2006, then-Gov. Mike Huckabee declined to a call a special election to fill the remainder of Lt. Gov. Win Rockefeller’s term, after Rockefeller’s death in July 2006; leaders from both parties had agreed to leave the office vacant through January 2007.

Darr is the second state elected official to resign in the past five months after being fined by the Arkansas Ethics Commission for violations of state ethics laws and regulations

On Aug. 20, state Sen. Paul Bookout, D-Jonesboro, resigned four days after the commission fined him $8,000 for four violations. He resigned on the same day a special prosecutor was appointed to review his personal use of more than $53,000 in campaign funds.

Lamoureux said Darr on Tuesday expressed his personal desire to remain as lieutenant governor but on Friday decided to resign in order to do what is the best for the state “without regardto his personal desire.”

Darr ultimately decided it would be best not to put the state through a divisive impeachment proceeding in the House and possible trial in the Senate, and not “put his family through anguish,” Lamoureux said

Carter added, “I am sad for the Darr family. I just hate it for them.” Darr and his wife, Kim, have two children.

Lamoureux said Darr’s staff members should be allowed to remain in their jobs for now and he’ll discuss with other state officials what happens after Feb. 1.

Westerman said he didn’t have any insight into what changed Darr’s mind about staying in office.

“I’m just glad he made the decision that he made, and I appreciate his service and wish him and his family all the best,” he said.

State Sen. David Sanders, R-Little Rock, who is a friend of Darr’s and attended Ouachita Baptist University with him, said of recent events, “It’s unfortunate.

“He was my friend before politics and he’ll be my friend after politics,” he said.

Darr is the latest elected official to step down in Arkansas in recent months.

In May, state Treasurer Martha Shoffner, a Newport Democrat, resigned after being accused of accepting a $6,000 bribe that had been hidden in a pie box. A federal grand jury indicted Shoffner in June, charging her with extortion and bribery. She has pleaded innocent and her trial is scheduled for March.

In June, former Rep. Hudson Hallum, D-Marion, and his father were sentenced to serve three years’ probation with nine months of home detention for taking part in a 2011 scheme to buy votes with cheap alcohol, chicken dinners and cash. Hallum resigned from his District 54 House seat after pleading guilty Sept. 5, 2012, to election-fraud charges.

Darr announced his resignation as lieutenant governor eight hours after Lamoureux said he met with Beebe to float the idea of changing state law in the fiscal session starting Feb. 10 to avoid the need for a special election. Under Lamoureux’s proposal, a governor could leave the lieutenant governor’s post vacant if the vacancy occurred less than a year before the next regular election.

“I have been trying to look for a way to not have a special [election], and I think this may be the best one and save the state $2 [million] to $2.5 million dollars,” he said.

Eight hours before Darr announced his resignation, Lamoureux said the possible legislation “really isn’t related” to persuading Darr to resign.

“But it’s part of the way of it being a cleaner overall process. If he decides to resign, there being less harm as a result,” he said.

“We have to prepare for if the resignation occurs or if there was an impeachment and a vacancy occurred,” Lamoureux said. “If everybody can see there is no advantage gained and there is a savings to the state, maybe it is something we can [consider in the fiscal session].”

The approval of 67 members of the 100-member House of Representatives and 24 members of the 35-member Senate is required for the introduction of such nonfiscal legislation during the fiscal session.

Lamoureux said he’s asked Senate Democratic and Republican leaders and Carter to gauge the support of other lawmakers for the idea.

Asked about the possible legislation, Beebe said, “My general reaction is that you don’t do something like that in a fiscal session.

“Having said that, however, if it is pretty much 100 percent unanimous and if they go ahead and fix a problem with that whole special election statute, which is messed up anyway because of the timeline inconsistencies, that I could live with it,” he said. “But I would prefer not to.”

State Democratic Party Chairman Vince Insalaco of North Little Rock said Friday afternoon that “regardless of what happens in the future, I think we should follow the law as it stands now.”

“There is simply not enough time to have a conversation with the people of Arkansas to make a change.To change the law without having a conversation with the people of Arkansas would only make a bad problem worse,” he said.

Leding said the Democratic caucus has had discussions about whether a special election would be necessary and whether it would be the proper use of taxpayer money.

“I do feel that the cost of a special election, when there’s going to be an election in 10 months anyway, is something that could be avoided,” he said.

Westerman said he believes that there should be enough support for the proposed legislation to get it introduced in the House.

Under the Arkansas Constitution, a state senator or representative is barred from being elected to another state office during the term for which he was elected. That means that state Reps. Andy Mayberry, R-East End, and Charlie Collins, R-Fayetteville, who are running for lieutenant governor, would be ineligible to run in a special election to fill the remainder of Darr’s term through January 2015.

Businessman John Burkhalter of Little Rock, a former member of the state Highway Commission and Economic Development Commission, is the lone Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor.

Donnie Copeland of Sherwood, a minister at the Apostolic Church in North Little Rock, has said he’s considering running for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor. In 2010, he narrowly lost the Republican nomination to lieutenant governor to Darr.

The state Ethics Commission issued Darr a public letter of reprimand last week and fined him $11,000 for the violations, which included improperly spending more than $31,000 in campaign funds, using a state-issued credit card for more than $3,500 in personal purchases 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, auditors for the Legislative Audit Division reported that Darr received $9,298 in improper mileage reimbursements for more than 22,000 personal-vehicle miles and made personal purchases on a state-issued credit card for more than $2,500. They recommended Darr reimburse the state $9,836 for excess travel reimbursements and expenses. Darr said he plans to reimburse the state soon.

Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney Larry Jegley said Friday that he is still examining the reports from the Ethics Commission and the Legislative Audit Division. Darr’s resignation will not affect the review, he added.

Darr’s statement

This is the statement Mark Darr released Friday evening:

It is my great honor to be the Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas. This office has allowed me to meet so many wonderful Arkansans over the past few years.

My family and I are forever grateful for the support the people of this great state have shown us for the past few years and during this extremely difficult time. We have learned that difficult days demand decisions of faith.

Throughout this process, it has been my desire to share the facts, and I feel this has been accomplished. I have been honest, forthright and acted with integrity. I made mistakes, but not one with malicious intent.

Effective February 1, 2014 I will resign as Lieutenant Governor and I submit that resignation to the people of Arkansas, not an elected official. I have spoken with Speaker Carter and Senate Pro-Tempore Lamoureux to notify them of this decision. They agree with me it is in the best interest for me, my family and the state at this point. I respect these two men for their concern: not just for the state but for me and my family.

Politics can be a toxic business. I will no longer subject my family to its hard lessons. All my forgiveness to those who play the games and all my respect and appreciation to those who serve with class and humility.

IN TODAY'S EDITION

http://www.arkansas…">2nd thoughts weigh on Darr, senators say

Gov. Mike Beebe told media members Wednesday that "nothing's changed" in regards to his stance on Lt. Gov. Mark Darr following Darr's comments on Tuesday.

Beebe: 'Nothing's changed' on Darr

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