Attorney General Dustin McDaniel announced today that former Lt. Gov. Mark Darr had repaid the state for almost $11,000 in illegal expense reimbursements he’d claimed in office. Darr resigned Feb. 1 after findings that he’d misspent campaign money on personal expenses and and audit finding that he’d received money for personal expenses in claims for official expenses, chiefly commuting money to his home in Springdale.
Darr is still making $1,000 monthly payments in $11,000 in fines by the state Ethics Commission. But McDaniel said Darr had written a check for $10,973 for the amount identified as owed on illegal reimbursements by the Division of Legislative Audit.
McDaniel said that resolved the debt without need for additonal litigation. Law enforcement agencies continue to review the case for a decision on potential criminal charges along with personal spending of campaign money by former Sen. Paul Bookout. Personal spending of campaign money can be prosecuted as a misdemeanor. Illegal expenditure of public money can be a more serious crime, depending on the amount.
Darr is now selling cars in Springdale.