GOP group calls for Milligan to quit

Republican state Treasurer Dennis Milligan
Republican state Treasurer Dennis Milligan

The Jefferson County Republican Committee has called for Republican state Treasurer Dennis Milligan to resign, with its chairman, Peter Smykla Jr. of Pine Bluff, saying Milligan's actions have been a "betrayal of our confidence and trust."

In a letter to Milligan dated Sunday, Smykla said the treasurer's "timely departure is necessary for the good of the State of Arkansas."

"Your campaign promised to bring back trust, dignity, and integrity to a State Office that had been abused by the former Treasurer," a reference to a predecessor, Martha Shoffner, a Democrat who was convicted of taking bribes.

Copies of the letter were sent to Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Republican Party of Arkansas Chairman Doyle Webb.

Through a spokesman, Milligan on Monday declined to respond.

Webb said, "At the present time, no additional requests for resignation by a county committee have been brought to our attention."

"The letter sent to Treasurer Milligan by the chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Committee did not originate with the Republican Party of Arkansas," Webb said in a written statement.

"County committees of the Republican Party of Arkansas are autonomous and established under Article II of the RPA rules. Any statement by any county chairman or county committee should not be deemed to reflect the views of the state committee," he said.

During his 2014 campaign, Milligan promised to restore integrity to the treasurer's office, but he broke the state's nepotism laws in his first week on the job.

On March 13, Milligan signed an agreement with Attorney General Leslie Rutledge to pay a $1,000 civil penalty for violating state law by hiring his first cousin for a job paying $63,000 a year in the treasurer's office.

He paid the fine and also voluntarily reimbursed the state for Sam Swayze's gross salary of $6,941.62 for the period the relative worked for Milligan's office.

On April 29, Milligan said he and his deputy chief of staff, Jason Brady, would make a contribution to Brady's old employer to compensate for any costs that it incurred from Brady also working as Milligan's campaign manager.

Emails indicated Brady had violated the policies of his former employer by using the nonprofit's time and resources to promote Milligan's campaign.

When the emails were made public, Milligan said he would send a personal letter to the charitable agency where Brady previously worked, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, along with "a contribution from myself and Jason Brady for any harm this situation has caused their organization."

But Ray Carson, a spokesman for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, said late last week that "we have not received a donation from Mr. Milligan or from Mr. Brady."

Smykla said in an interview that the Jefferson County Republican Committee on Thursday voted to ask for Milligan's resignation during a meeting attended by about 15 members and that no one voiced their dissent with the motion.

Smykla said Brady's work on Milligan's campaign while he worked for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network is "the straw that broke the camel's back with the people."

The Jefferson County Republican Committee voted to call for Milligan's resignation on the same day that David Singer of White Hall, the former outreach manager for Milligan, filed a defamation lawsuit against Milligan's chief of staff, Jim Harris.

Harris "published to people and the press" that Singer "had mental problems" and accused Singer of "inappropriate activity with females" and "acting in a bizarre fashion," Singer's two-page lawsuit said, adding that "all of this was untrue and Harris knew it was untrue."

But Milligan's office said Thursday that the "allegations made by Mr. Singer are untrue" and "the actions taken by Jim Harris were done so in his official capacity as chief of staff."

Smykla said Singer recused himself from the committee's discussion Thursday.

Smykla said Singer defended Milligan for about 20 minutes during the committee's meeting in April and that Singer "had nothing to do" with the call for Milligan's resignation.

Metro on 06/02/2015

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