Arkansas lawmaker accused of wrongdoing should resign only if indicted, governor says

HOT SPRINGS -- Gov. Asa Hutchinson repeated his belief Friday that a lawmaker accused of wrongdoing should resign only if he is indicted on criminal charges.

Information attached to a June 7 federal guilty plea by lobbyist Milton "Rusty" Cranford accused "Senator A" -- acknowledged as the governor's nephew, state Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson, a Republican in Little Rock -- of accepting bribes. However, the senator has not been charged. Cranford pleaded guilty to one count of federal program bribery for his role in bribing Arkansas lawmakers from 2010 until 2017.

The governor addressed the matter Friday during a previously scheduled speech on ethics at the Arkansas Bar Association's annual meeting in Hot Springs.

Gov. Hutchinson said he had delayed speaking about the matter in depth until the speech, although his conclusion was largely what he had told reporters last week: Any decision on Sen. Hutchinson's resignation should depend on the outcome of the federal corruption investigation. Some lawmakers are calling for Sen. Hutchinson to resign now.

"You've got to be patient and let the justice system work," Gov. Hutchinson, a former U.S. attorney, said.

The governor pointed to the example of former U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, who, while serving as state treasurer, was indicted by a state grand jury on misconduct charges in 1993, only to be later acquitted. She was elected to three full Senate terms as a Republican. Then-Texas Gov. Rick Perry was indicted on state charges that were later dismissed, Gov. Hutchinson said.

"They should not have resigned," said the governor.

Still, the governor's standard for the "current climate" is different. He said any lawmakers who face federal indictments should immediately be called upon to resign.

Th governor also threw his support behind an ethics proposal rolled out Thursday by the Arkansas Senate, which included the creation of a committee on ethics. Hutchinson noted that Congress, of which he is a former member, has its own committee on ethics.

Hutchinson said additional authority should also be given to the Arkansas Ethics Commission to levy stiffer fines against ethics violators and to refer its investigations to a potential legislative committee in addition to prosecutors.

A Section on 06/16/2018