BENTONVILLE — Benton County Sheriff Kelley Cradduck has filed a complaint against Justice of the Peace Kevin Harrison, claiming Harrison sought to use his office for personal advantage in connection with taxes he owes the state and federal governments.
“Within the last few months JP Harrison asked Benton Co. Major Shawn Holloway to order his personnel to not allow any employee to serve bank papers that would have allowed the sale of his personal property due to a $10,000 tax debt he owed,” Cradduck wrote in his complaint to the state Ethics Commission.
“When contacted by phone by deputies JP Harrison said to contact Maj. Holloway — who directed his staff to not serve those civil papers on him.”
Harrison denied the allegation and pointed to the timing of the complaint.
The letter was dated March 4, three days after the primary election in which Holloway ran against Cradduck for the Republican party nomination for sheriff.
Cradduck finished third in the balloting. Holloway later won the nomination in a runoff against Lowell police Lt. Paul Pillaro.
Harrison was a vocal supporter of Holloway during the campaign.
Harrison filed three ethics complaints with the state against Cradduck and Chief Deputy Rich Connor regarding Connor’s use of a county vehicle while on vacation last summer and other alleged improprieties in the sheriff’s office.
“This ethics complaint was f iled by the sheriff against me two or three days after the election,” Harrison said. “They’ve not talked to me about it, but they did send me a letter. He’s claiming Maj. Holloway ordered people to not take action on a writ on that tax stuff. There’s nothing to that.”
Harrison acknowledged he owes more than $10,000 in taxes and interest, the result of an error made when he and his wife filed tax returns thinking money they received as punitive damages in a civil suit wasn’t taxable. Harrison said he has been in touch with state and federal authorities and is making payments.
Holloway said he never interfered with the service of any papers. He said he was aware of Harrison’s situation and Harrison had asked him how he might proceed.
Holloway said he referred Harrison to then-Lt. Harold Gage with the sheriff ’s office, who would have overseen the staff responsible for serving such papers.
“Yes, I did know about it, so did the sheriff,” Holloway said. “That was back when they were friends. Those things come through the sheriff’s office. As far as me ordering anyone not to serve any papers, that is absolutely not true.”
Holloway resigned his position at the sheriff’s office as he prepares to campaign for the general election in November.
Cradduck didn’t respond to messages left on his cellphone.
Graham Sloan, director of the state Ethics Commission, said he couldn’t confirm a complaint has been filed.
“The commission’s policy and practice is to neither confirm or deny there is a pending matter,” Sloan said.