A Pine Bluff resident filed a complaint with the Arkansas Ethics Commission against a state representative earlier this month over what she alleged were 16 different mistakes in his campaign finance reports in the past three years.
Rep. Mike Holcomb, D-Pine Bluff and the former Jefferson County judge, said Monday that the complaint filed against him was a political stunt. Calls to Carol Key, who filed the complaint, were not returned late Monday.
Graham Sloan, executive director of the Arkansas Ethics Commission, said the commission does not confirm or deny whether complaints have been filed or investigations exist. Holcomb confirmed Monday that the complaint existed, and he confirmed that a letter notifying him of the investigation had been sent from the commission.
"It was filed by someone who is a supporter and financial contributor to my opponent, and I would like the opportunity to answer the complaint," said Holcomb, who is seeking his second term in the Arkansas House representing District 10. "We've already been in touch with the Ethics Commission and asked for a hearing so we can bring in all of our receipts and records. I can assure you there is no malfeasance."
The letter sent by the Ethics Commission on Sept. 16 outlines the 16 instances that Key alleged were violations of the state's ethics and election laws. According to campaign finance records at the Arkansas secretary of state's office, Key contributed $50 to Holcomb's opponent, Republican Patricia Mays of Monticello, in late August before filing the complaint.
Reached by phone Monday, Mays said she has no involvement in the complaint even though Key has supported her campaign.
"I had nothing to do with this filing, and I'm not behind this complaint," Mays said. "[Key] apparently saw something that made her feel she needed to file a complaint. I think what he is doing is trying to draw attention away from the complaint and cast aspersions on me, but I've been busy trying to run my campaign."
According to the letter from the commission, all of the purported violations occurred between January 2012 and October 2013 -- almost a year before the complaint was filed. Holcomb said the timing was suspicious.
"I'm not surprised by it; it's happening to a lot of people right now because the election is coming up," Holcomb said. "I think there's a lot of nitpicking. Something was reported on the wrong line. We showed it, just not in the right place. I'll feel better when we get the chance to sit down and address all of it with the Ethics Commission. I've asked that we get to do that before the election, but I don't know if we will. That's what bothers me about this."
Most of the issues deal with misreported contributions or expenses written on wrong lines, not added correctly or misfiled. The complaint also notes at least two issues with alleged unreported contributions or improper fundraising.
In one case, the complaint states money raised from a fish-fry fundraiser was not reported on a financial report filed in May 2012.
Holcomb said he reported the ticket sales for the fundraiser as they were sold, so the profit wouldn't appear as a lump sum on his finance report.
The complaint also alleges that after filing his final report for the 2012 election, Holcomb "subsequently embarked on additional fund raising to improperly pay his spouse $1,571.64."
Holcomb said he and his wife contacted the commission before including a composite expense for his wife's campaign related to travel mileage.
"She wanted to wait to make sure the rest of the campaign was paid for before filing her own mileage, to make sure everyone else got paid," he said. "We were in contact with the commission before filing that expense."
The commission under statute has 150 days to address complaints, or 180 with final adjudication decisions.
Metro on 09/30/2014