Arkansas Blog: Mike Huckabee v. Ethics Commission UPDATES

UPDATE: The editorial at the end of this item that I posted Friday morning was timely. Friday afternoon, the state Ethics Commission issued a letter of caution to former Gov. Mike Huckabee for failing to report the people who contributed money to pay for his $32,000 official portrait. Huckabee reported the painting on his financial disclosure form as a gift from the artist. Not.

The letter was a result of a settlement with Huckabee. Here it is.

UPDATE II: Huckabee's attorney, Kevin Crass, indicated dissatisfaction with the form of the caution letter, which said Huckabee acknowledged a violation of the law.

"He does not acknowledge that the disclosure was a violation of the law," Crass said. "But he has agreed that the Commission found that there was probable cause and he accepted their offer of settlement." Crass said "reasonable people can disagree about what had to be disclosed. He didn't violate the law and he voluntarily said he would disclose the donors and he did it."

Crass noted that, in the finding of probable cause, the Commission voted 3-1, indicating at least one commissioner was swayed by the argument that Huckabee had done nothing wrong. (She was, however, a former employee of Gov. Mike Huckabee.)

The Democrat-Gazette dislodged the information by discovering that a state agency oversaw a fund into which the money for the painting was deposited. Huckabee appointees and familiar business names provided most of the cash. A contributor to the fund told me today that solicitations were made by Jim Pickens, who headed the state Economic Development agency under Huckabee, but who had retired from the post when the money was solicited. I have a call into Pickens about the effort.

This article recounts some of Huckabee's storied history with the Ethics Commission.

Early this morning, I noted that the Arkansas Leader had editorialized on the matter of Mike Huckabee finally, with an ethics complaint pending, disclosing who contributed $32,000 to pay for the Huckabee portrait at the Capitol.

All’s well that ends well, right? Not quite. There is still the little matter of Mike Huckabee’s honesty. He was, after all, the exemplar of virtue in the recently ended (for him) presidential campaign. He talked about bringing a higher level of morality to office and public life. In matters of getting and spending money he has never been quite the moral exemplar he claims to be and that people have a right to expect.

Comments

If I thought a prayer would help move these to more-than-embarrassing people out of this state I would be on bended knees for a few days each month. There is no bottom to his contempt nor his wife's.

Posted by: L.Wood | May 2, 2008 03:19 PM

Calling all wiggleworms. Yo man needs defending.

Posted by: L.Wood | May 2, 2008 03:22 PM

Oh yes, honesty is the issue. Is this were the obvious goes to die?

Next you will be telling me that competency is the issue with W.

You are still calling out Huckabee after what? 12 years? The hypocrit is laughing all the way to bank.

Posted by: Fletch | May 2, 2008 03:38 PM

Oh, and Janet was right by the way. It should be pointed out because she so seldom is. The waitress story hangs on the employer not some rumor. Jerry Sprinker has taken over morning programing and prime time and Rush Limbaugh is running the Times. Bob is right. It must be sign.

Posted by: Fletch | May 2, 2008 03:45 PM

Can we WAIT (with a Mackerel in our mouths!) for the BIG WHINE that will be emitted from Huckabuck about this one?!! Hoo boy..........
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Posted by: Larry | May 2, 2008 03:58 PM

>>He talked about bringing a higher level of morality to office and public life.<<

Lord Save The Republic!

Posted by: L.Wood | May 2, 2008 05:49 PM

How can I get me one of them Letters of Caution? I'm sick of getting tickets when I speed and penalties when I don't pay my taxes on time. Next time they come to cut off my electricity, I'm going to ask them to issue me a Letter of Caution first....that should buy me an extra week to come up with the cash.

Why doesn't Pryor and Lincoln issue a Letter of Caution to Cheney-Bush for slaughtering 4100 of our troops so their buddies at Halliburton can make another billion next quarter. Why doesn't Obama keep his preacher and just issue him a Letter of Caution. Beebe can forget starting up the death trip at Cummins and just issue Letters of Caution.

Isn't a Letter of Caution about all Scooter Libbey wound up getting? How bout the West Memphis 3......let em out with 3 nice framed Letters of Caution. I say we give the Lord's Ranch guy a Letter of Caution and go lay one on Bill McCuen's grave while you're at it. This is just what this FK'ing country needs is a rash of Letters of Caution! Huckabee destroyed public information and cost the taxpayers of Arkansas almost 400, 000 dollars in his Hard Drive crushing exit move.......I say he should get a FK'ing Letter of Caution for that one too.

Call Osama and tell him we give......when no one who makes over 200 thousand a year ever gets punished, it's a sure sign our country has reached the end of its rope. I'm heading for the cat box to fix up a special Letter of Caution for Mark W. Pryor! Let the Letters of Caution fall like Janet pissin on a flat rock!

Posted by: Deathbyinches | May 2, 2008 11:13 PM

Have you heard that venereal diseases of the mouth have been on the rise since billy clinton and monica had thier little fun. There was a study done on young teens and its a fact that veneral diseases of the mouth jumped after the Monica affair. The reasoning was that if oral sex wasn't sex as President Clinton said, than it was ok to have Oral sex because it is not oral sex and its ok. If clinton said it, it must be ok. There you have it!! You got to love those clinton's!!!!!!

Posted by: Billary | May 2, 2008 11:38 PM

Excellent post, Billary! Keep em coming! I've also heard since Bill got in Monnie's honey pot that the bees are dying all over the US. No soup for you.....1 month!

Posted by: Deathbyinches | May 3, 2008 01:11 AM

Maybe they should have asked Bob powers to file the complaint then the former governor would have gotten a letter and a fine of $150.00. Or is that reserved for black members of the Little Rock School Board? This commission is probably the most pathetic I've ever seen but they sure know how to pick and choose their fights. How many of them were appointed by Governor Huckabee? Sometimes I think we should file complaints against everyone who is running for office during election time and force them to come clean before they win.

Posted by: Granamere | May 3, 2008 12:41 PM

Arkansas Blog

Mike Huckabee v. Ethics Commission UPDATES

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