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UPDATE: FBI confirms State Treasurer Martha Shoffner's arrest, apparently for official misconduct
The shoe drops. This mug shot of Democratic state Treasurer Martha Shoffner appeared on the Pulaski County sheriff's office jail intake page late this afternoon. (She looked a little distracted when I saw her looking over the cottage cheese in a case at Kroger's earlier this week.) Sorry: I originally called her auditor incorrectly. I have many calls out for more information.
Shoffner has been under scrutiny for a variety of issues including charges of favoritism in handling of state investments with a securities firm and also in sloppy reporting and spending of state campaign finance money. She's been subject, too, of a tough legislative audit and Republicans have been calling for her to resign.
UPDATE: I"ve heard from Kimberly Brunell, agent in charge of the Little Rock office of the FBI. She's circumspect:
I can tell you that FBI agents today arrested Martha Shoffner on Hobbs Act charges.
Brunell said there'd be more information at a news conference Monday, probably following Shoffner's appearance in a U.S. magistrate's court. She'll remain jailed until then.
I tried to press Brunell, but she said she couldn't provide details. She did say, in response to my question of whether campaign finance or official conduct figured in the charges, that I should look to the portion of the Hobbs Act that refers to "extortion under color of official rights." Said Brunell: "That was the part she was charged under." Then she said no more.
Here's what you need to know about the Hobbs Act. Excerpt:
In order to show a violation of the Hobbs Act under this provision, the Supreme Court recently held that "the Government need only show that a public official has obtained a payment to which he was not entitled, knowing that the payment was made in return for official acts."
I guess you could still argue, knowing nothing of the facts underlying this arrest, that this still could pertain to campaign contributions in return for official acts, as well as payments of some sort for investment decisions. Monday should be interesting.
Republicans are popping champagne corks. Justifiably,
UPDATE II: a spokesman for Gov. Beebe says they have no comment. They know nothing beyond press reports.
See a movie open line
The line is open.
Nothing to say but to add to Lindsey's endorsement on our podcast this week of the Little Rock Film Festival. At age 7, this event has grown up into a wholly big-time entertainment (and education) plus for the city.
We watched "Bayou Maharaja" in the space on Main across from the Rep. Great film about the legendary New Orleans pianist James Booker. It's not in release yet, so this was a rare opportunity to see it. Then we checked out "Spies of Mississippi" in the comfortable auditorium at HAM. It's headed to TV and it's a must see on the Mississippi Sovereignty Commission and its complicity in spying on, and even murder of, civil rights workers in the bad old days of the 1960s.
A bonus at the second film was the filmmaker's account of her visit to the home of a courtly seg, not regretful of his involvement in the commission, but willing today to break bread in his farm home (complete with Confederate flag on the wall) with the vivacious black woman lawyer, Dawn Porter, from up East who made the movie. Wonderful story. The other movie to be made of this is, of course, how the segs really did win, if you look at the political state of Mississippi and the South today.
Lots of screen time in the movie for Jerry Mitchell, the Harding U. grad who busted open the sovereignty commission story as a Jackson, Miss., newspaper reporter.
We have at least three flicks on the agenda tomorrow. If you haven't checked in, here's lots of info in this week's Times.
Parking is easy. Great food truck court today at Sixth and Main, with everything from BBQ Frito pie to pad Thai.
Arkansas Politics
Partisan justice: Court candidate Wood gets tout from GOP's Curtis Coleman
I've written here and in last week's column about the lingering taste of partisanship in supposedly non-partisan Arkansas judicial races, as exhibited recently by Court of Appeals Judge Rhonda Wood, who's expected to run for the Arkansas Supreme Court next year.
In that vein, check a YouTube of extremist Republican gubernatorial candidate Curtis Coleman talking of the need to build a "farm team" to elect the right sorts of people in three coming races for Supreme Court. He named one candidate he believed in — Rhonda Wood. "Solid and sound," Coleman said. A Coleman seal of approval is just about as big a disincentive to vote for Wood as I could imagine.
Speaking of Curtis Coleman: I learned this morning that some jokester had submitted a $1,000 pledge to Coleman's Institute for Constitutional Policy in my name. But then I was informed by a followup e-mail that the Institute was not currently accepting contributions. He's claimed it is a registered nonprofit, though it hasn't attained that official tax deductible status yet (giving him the chance to blame it all on the IRS, naturally). Good thing he's not registered yet. 501c3s are not supposed to engage in political advocacy, such as touting a candidate for Supreme Court. Or the Institute leader's own candidacy for governor.
Rock Candy
Arktube
Video blogger Joseph Birdsong teaches you about Arkansas
Arkansas is full of talented people, and we ran across yet another one of them last night: the thoroughly-hilarious writer and video blogger Joseph Birdsong. In the video seen above, Birdsong, who was born in Arkansas, schools out-of-staters on some skewed facts about the Natural State, including: "People in Arkansas are born with the ability to recognize 30 different kinds of roadkill based on scent alone," and "The first gay person to ever come to Arkansas was George Takei, and that was because he was forced here to live in an Arkansas Japanese internment camp during World War II." Just remember, he's laughing WITH us, not AT us. Okay, he's laughing AT us as well, but a great sense of humor covers a multitude of sins.
If you're looking for a good laugh, you can check out almost 200 of Birdsong's quirky videos on his Youtube site, cupofjoeshow.com. He's also got a site where he blogs, a very funny Twitter account. and a video blog for My Damn Channel's Answerly page where he talks about sex and relationships.
LRFF
'Short Term 12' folks are really good at Vine
If your first reaction to Vine, the new-ish Twitter app that allows users to post 6 second video clips, was, "This is worthless," you need to check out the Vines "Short Term 12" director Destin Cretton and actor Keith Stanfield did while they were in town for the Little Rock Film Festival. So good. They're on the jump. (Click the box on the top left of each one to un-mute the sound.)
If you missed 'Short Term 12,' the opening night film at the Little Rock Film Festival that's the heavy favorite to win the festival's Golden Rock Narrative Award, you blew it. Maybe it'll play here when it opens in August.
Saturday: Coolio, Thick Syrup anniversary show and more
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" fans should be excited to catch a screening of the "Rodrick Rules" installment of the film at Arkansas Repertory Theatre, followed by a Q&A with actors Zachary Gordon and Robert Capron and producer Brad Simpson, 10 a.m., $10. The Little Rock Zoo hosts an autograph signing with Gordon, Capron and Simpson from 2-4 p.m.
Discovery hosts rapper Coolio, with DJ Feelgood and MC Cat Daddy, plus DJs Crawley, Sleepy, Platinumb and Brandon Peck, 9 p.m.-5 a.m., $10 before midnight, $15 afterward.
Thick Syrup Records celebrates its anniversary in Hot Springs, with Ginsu Wives, Ezra Lbs. and Burnt, Maxine's, 8 p.m., $5 adv., $7 door.
Texas bluesman Chris Duarte plays an all-ages show at Juanita's, with Steve Hester & Deja VooDoo, Davis Coen and Chris Milam, 9 p.m., $12 adv., $15 day of.
Weakness For Blondes brings the goodtime jams to White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m., $5.
Cover Story
A guide to the 2013 Little Rock Film Festival
Event Calendar
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Re: UPDATE: FBI confirms State Treasurer Martha Shoffner's arrest, apparently for official misconduct
Sunday's Dem-Gaz report adds no major revelations, but Robert Keenan, CEO for St. Bernard Financial…
- on May 19, 2013
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Re: UPDATE: FBI confirms State Treasurer Martha Shoffner's arrest, apparently for official misconduct
Yes, Cord Rapert is indeed Republican Sen. Jason Rapert's cousin. He worked for Shoffner till…
- on May 19, 2013
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Re: UPDATE: FBI confirms State Treasurer Martha Shoffner's arrest, apparently for official misconduct
i am noone important and i dont know much about politics or much about what…
- on May 19, 2013
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