CAVE SPRINGS -- Faced with four complaints of ethics violations, Cave Springs Mayor Travis Lee tried to put the situation into perspective.
"Now I know how President Trump feels," Lee said Friday. "It's a witch-hunt."
The state Ethics Commission is investigating four complaints filed against Lee by Terry Rakes of Cave Springs. Lee acknowledged being informed of the complaints, but said he could not comment on the specifics as long as an investigation is underway.
The complaints are set out in letters dated Feb. 9, 2018, from Graham F. Sloan, director of the Ethics Commission, to Rakes informing her an investigation has begun.
In one complaint, Rakes claims Lee has three vending machines, two kept in storage at the fire department and one in use at City Hall. Rakes also says in her complaint that Lee has no business license to operate the machines.
In her second complaint Rakes says Lee has the use of two Verizon Wi-Fi packs that are owned by the city. Rakes claims Lee also has a payroll deduction for the Wi-Fi packs. She also says Lee used his city-owned cell phone for personal business while he was on a trip to Haiti and did not reimburse the city for those calls.
In a third complaint, Rakes says Lee received a duplicate reimbursement from the city in the amount of $391 and the money had not been repaid as of May 31, 2017.
In the fourth complaint, Rakes says Lee disbursed city funds to a business owned by a city employee without the city having approved an ordinance to allow the employee to do business with the city.
Rakes did not respond to two voice mail messages left Friday on the phone number she listed on the complaint forms.
Sloan said Friday he could not confirm any complaints have been filed or comment on any allegations.
"We're required by law to keep pending matters confidential," Sloan said.
Sloan said once a case has been brought to a conclusion, the commission may issue a decision letter. He said commission records show Rakes filed a complaint against Lee last year regarding the purchase of two vehicles, claiming he had overpaid for the vehicles. The commission found that was "a purchasing decision" by the city and not a matter for the commission.
Lee said he has spoken with an investigator about the complaints and was told some have already been dropped. Sloan could not confirm that. Lee said he isn't worried about the complaints.
"This is like the fifteenth complaint against me or something like that. I'm confident in the process. The Ethics Commission will thoroughly investigate the allegations, and I am confident that, once again, it will be determined that the city of Cave Springs is compliant with the rule of law."
NW News on 04/14/2018