Four groups, including The Federalist Society and Republican Attorney Generals Association, paid for more than $20,000 in expenses for food, lodging and travel for Attorney General Leslie Rutledge for 10 meetings last year, Rutledge reported Friday on her annual personal financial disclosure report.
In addition, three groups and a company paid for more than $10,000 worth of travel-related expenses for Senate President Pro Tempore Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, on six trips to places ranging from Paris to Cuba last year, Dismang disclosed on his report.
Rutledge and Dismang are among the state's elected officials who filed their 2015 Statement of Financial Interest in advance of Monday's deadline to file the report with the secretary of state's office.
Rutledge, a Little Rock Republican, reported that The Federalist Society paid $1,837.70 for Rutledge's food, lodging and travel expenses for the group's regional meeting March 13-14 in New Orleans.
The Federalist Society describes itself on its website as an organization of 40,000 lawyers, law students, scholars and other individuals who believe and trust that individual citizens can make the best choices for themselves and society.
Rutledge spokesman Judd Deere said Rutledge spoke to lawyers at the meeting about state law and the state's involvement in lawsuits against the federal government.
For its national and training meetings, the Republican Attorney Generals Association paid Rutledge's expenses of $3,195.37 from Feb. 21-23, $1,549.09 on April 10, $2,410.29 on June 4, $2,755.30 from July 31-Aug. 4 and $3,458.37 on Nov. 14, Rutledge disclosed. Deere said he didn't have information immediately available about where the meetings were held.
In addition, the Conference of Western Attorneys General of Sacramento, Calif., paid Rutledge's expenses of $3,658.14 for its annual meeting from July 18-22 and $1,208.49 for its "24/7 Sobriety Summit," Rutledge reported. The National Association of Attorneys General of Washington, D.C., paid $81 of Rutledge's expenses on Feb. 18 and $148.16 on April 17 for national training and meetings, Rutledge reported.
Rutledge reported two sources of income last year. They are more than $12,500 each from the state of Arkansas for which she serves as attorney general and from Boyce Johnson Farms for her husband from agricultural business.
Meanwhile, Dismang reported that the Senate Presidents' Forum paid $3,677 for Dismang's travel, food and lodging expenses to attend its summer forum July 7-12 in Paris, France, and $2,910 for Dismang's expenses to attend its fall meeting Oct. 1-4 in Charleston, S.C.
The Senate Presidents' Forum is a nonpartisan, nonideological, nonprofit 501(c)(3) educational organization, established in 1994, according to its website. The group says its mission is to provide a nonpartisan environment where state Senate leaders meet to consider potential solutions to critical problems.
Dismang said the group pays for any Senate president who wants to attend its meetings, which provide information on issues ranging from changes in Medicaid to changes in prisons.
He said most of the meetings in Paris that he attended focused on foreign trade and foreign affairs.
"The vast majority of that conference related to the U.S. position in the world," he said. He said the group holds meetings overseas every few years.
Then-Senate President Pro Tempore Michael Lamoureux, R-Russellville, reported in 2013 that the Senate Presidents' Forum paid for a $1,030 trip for a conference in Madrid on Oct. 9 and that the National Conference of State Legislators Leaders Forum paid for a $1,990 trip to Edinburgh, Scotland, for a conference July 7.
Lamoureux is now Gov. Asa Hutchinson's chief of staff.
Dismang reported that Simmons Foods Inc. paid $750 for his travel on a trade mission from Sept. 27-30 to Cuba. Simmons Foods doesn't have a lobbyist, so its payment for his travel isn't barred under state law, Dismang said. He accompanied the governor on the trade mission.
"I thought there was a great deal of value to my district to be part of the trip" because selling rice to Cuba "is incredibly important" to his legislative district, he said. Dismang's Senate District 28 includes Prairie County and parts of Arkansas, Lonoke, Monroe, White and Woodruff counties.
The National Conference of State Legislatures paid $1,491.19 for Dismang's travel, food and lodging expenses to attend the Cable Academy from May 3-6 in Chicago and $1,142.64 for his travel, food and lodging expenses to attend "Wireless U" from Sept. 9-12 in Las Vegas, Dismang reported. The Cable Academy meeting covered trends in Internet access, which is an important issue in Arkansas, while the "Wireless U" focused on changes in technology, Dismang said.
In addition, the State Government Affairs Council paid $630.96 for his travel, food and lodging for a leaders' policy meeting from Nov. 20-23 in Miami, Dismang reported.
On his 2015 Statement of Financial Interest, Dismang reported four sources of income. They are each more than $12,500 from the state of Arkansas for serving as a state senator; from Rylwell LLC of North Little Rock, where he is chief financial officer; Dismang Consulting Services of Searcy, which provides accounting services; and Health Corp. of Searcy, where his wife is a manager.
Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin reported gifts consisting of a $250 ticket for him and a $250 ticket for his wife to a music concert from John Oates of Hall and Oates on Dec. 7.
Griffin, a Little Rock Republican, reported three sources of income last year. They are more than $12,500 apiece from the state of Arkansas as lieutenant governor, the U.S. Army Reserve of Indianapolis, Ind., as an officer, and Purple Strategies LLC of Alexandria, Va., as senior adviser for communication and growth strategies.
State Auditor Andrea Lea reported a $1,100 gift on Nov. 6 from Governing magazine for a trip to South Carolina.
Lea, a Russellville Republican, reported three sources of income last year. They are more than $12,500 each from the state of Arkansas for serving as auditor, from Entergy Inc. Retirement Fund of New Orleans for her husband; and the Guidant Group of Atlanta for her husband.
State Treasurer Dennis Milligan reported five sources of income last year. They are more than $12,500 apiece from the state of Arkansas for him serving as treasurer, from The Maples LLC of Alexander, which constructs homes; from Milligan Racing & Breeding of Alexander, which breeds and races thoroughbreds; from Water Treatment Services Inc. of Alexander; and from Triple Crown Investments of Alexander, which develops land and leases buildings.
Milligan, a Benton Republican, reported receiving no gifts as state treasurer last year.
Secretary of State Mark Martin reported two sources of income last year. They are more than $12,500 from the state of Arkansas for serving as secretary of state and between $1,000 and $12,500 from Electronics Manufacturing Solutions of Lincoln, where his wife provides clerical services.
Martin, a Prairie Grove Republican, reported receiving no gifts as secretary of state last year.
According to the secretary of state's office, House Speaker Jeremy Gillam, R-Judsonia, state Land Commissioner John Thurston and Hutchinson hadn't yet filed their 2015 Statement of Financial Interest with the office as of 5 p.m. Friday.
Metro on 01/30/2016