Last 3 workers at Darr's old office wrap up

Ex-employees staying mum on future after Capitol exit

The remaining three employees who served under former Lt. Gov. Mark Darr stepped down, as promised, Monday, five months after their boss's resignation.

Chief of Staff Bruce Campbell said he and Josh Curtis, the director of governmental relations, planned to leave by 4:30 p.m. and would turn in their office keys to Capitol police. He said they had found jobs elsewhere but declined to say where.

Christian Olson, a spokesman for Republican gubernatorial candidate Asa Hutchinson's campaign, said Campbell has been hired as the political director starting today.

Curtis declined to comment on the office's closing or say where he had been hired.

Laura Labay, a spokesman for Secretary of State Mark Martin, said her office had made an offer to one of the employees from the lieutenant governor's office, but she declined to say who and for what position.

Raeanne Gardner, the office's executive assistant, was on leave on her final day, Campbell said. Gardner could not be reached for comment.

A fourth employee left earlier in the month to take other employment.

Darr's former spokesman, Amber Pool, was hired by the House and started June 2 as an assistant executive secretary. Pool, who was paid $57,564 in the lieutenant governor's office, receives a salary of $41,500 from the House.

Under the Arkansas Constitution, the lieutenant governor's responsibilities include fulfilling the duties of governor in the event of the governor's death, resignation, disability or absence from the state.

Campbell said the lieutenant governor's office had largely fielded phone calls from people seeking government services since Darr resigned Feb. 1. He said many people contact the office, incorrectly thinking they are contacting the governor's office, and that office staff members direct them to the appropriate agency.

"We've experienced that the whole time we've been here. It's a lot of just happenstance of people calling and wanting help from 'the government,' and they happen to call us," Campbell said.

He said he wasn't sure where calls to the office would go after they leave, but he had reminded Senate President Pro Tempore Michael Lamoureux that the office would no longer be staffed after Monday. Lamoureux assumed a supervisory role over the employees after Darr's resignation.

Campbell, who is a former employee for the state Senate, said it was "very surreal" to be closing up a state constitutional office.

"I've been in government since '97, and I've been around the Capitol seven years. ... I have a lot of friends here, so it's just kind of weird to not be here anymore, and the circumstances are unusual. Certainly when we entered into this, we didn't think anything would ever come to this," Campbell said.

Campbell's annual salary was $75,132, Curtis received $51,564 a year and Gardner's salary was $33,660 a year.

Darr, a Republican from Springdale, resigned after he was fined $11,000 for 11 violations of state ethics laws and regulations. The Legislature passed a bill during the fiscal session to allow Gov. Mike Beebe to forgo calling a special election to fill the vacancy.

Metro on 07/01/2014

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