Both sides have agreed to settle a lawsuit filed more than a year ago by state Republicans against a former Democratic legislator who also worked as the Nashville city attorney.
Former Rep. Nate Steel said Friday that it was appropriate to settle with the Republican Party of Arkansas, which had accused Steel of "illegal exaction" because he was getting paid as a lawmaker as well as a city attorney for Nashville in Howard County. Steel, a two-term representative, was the 2014 Democratic nominee for attorney general and lost to Republican Leslie Rutledge.
In the Oct. 28 settlement, Steel agreed to pay $2,500 in attorney fees to the Republican Party, as well as pay $285 in court costs.
The agreement also stated: "Employment by Defendant Nate Steel with the City of Nashville was at least an appearance of an impropriety and was not an intentional violation of Arkansas law even though the Court could certainly find otherwise."
On Friday, Steel called the resolution a "fair" and "amicable" agreement and maintained he didn't do anything improper by doing legal work for his hometown.
Doyle Webb, chairman of the Republican Party of Arkansas, said Friday that fellow Republicans were pleased with the outcome.
"We could have seen it being in the courts for some time in the future and an increase in attorney's fees and court costs," Webb said. "It sent a message to others who might be in similar circumstance that we should comply with state law and the Constitution of Arkansas and not hold two [public] positions."
The suit, filed Oct. 14, 2014, accused Steel of violating Article V, Section 10, of the Arkansas Constitution, which states that "no [legislator] shall, during the term for which he shall have been elected, be appointed or elected to any civil office under the State."
Steel began doing legal work for Nashville in early 2012 after his father retired from the city attorney post. He claimed he did the job part time and on contract and was not a city employee. Nashville's mayor, Billy Ray Jones, said the younger Steel's hiring was approved by the Arkansas Municipal League.
In February, Steel received a letter of caution from the Arkansas Ethics Commission for failing to report his earned income from Nashville, but the commission also found that Steel never officially held the position of Nashville city attorney.
Metro on 11/14/2015