The Arkansas Ethics Commission has issued a public letter of caution to Marion County Judge Terry Ott after ruling that Ott violated state law when he used a county-owned vehicle to transport his campaign signs during the November general election.
The letter is the lowest level of sanction, Ethics Commission Director Graham Sloan wrote in a letter informing Ott of the commission's decision.
The commission notified Ott on Sept. 2 of a complaint filed against him that he violated Arkansas Code Annotated 7-1-103(a)(6), which states that it is a misdemeanor if campaign banners, signs or literature are placed on vehicles owned by the state, municipality, county or school district.
Ott, a Republican, successfully regained his position, defeating Democratic challenger Todd Norris in the Nov. 4 general election.
Ott said Thursday that he did not place campaign signs in the vehicle. He said someone entered his unlocked vehicle while he attended a dinner, put the signs in a back window that was tinted, shot photographs, removed the signs and then sent the pictures to the Ethics Commission.
"I didn't put them there," he said. "I was falsely accused. There were no signs in my car when I got to the dinner.
"Someone should have had pictures of me with the car if the signs were in it," he said. "It never happened."
Sloan wrote in a Dec. 23 letter to Ott that he had 10 days to challenge the findings and request a public hearing.
Ott said he decided to forgo an appeal and accept the letter of caution.
"Anybody can file anything they want to against you," he said. "It doesn't have to be true, but you still have to fight it. You ask people about me. They may not all like me, but they will tell you I'm honest.
"I've learned to lock my car doors all the time now," he said.
State Desk on 01/09/2015