Combative election authority censures one of its members

Jefferson County Election Commission Chairman Michael Adam (right) attempts to silence Commissioner Theodis “Ted” Davis moments after Davis was censured by the commission for expressing his disgust in a recent meeting over comments Commissioner Stuart “Stu” Soffer made on a blog post regarding Pulaski County Clerk Terri Hollingsworth. “The governor and the Republican Party chairman both disavowed Soffer’s comments, and they’re going to censure me,” Davis said after the meeting Friday night.
(Pine Bluff Commercial/Dale Ellis)
Jefferson County Election Commission Chairman Michael Adam (right) attempts to silence Commissioner Theodis “Ted” Davis moments after Davis was censured by the commission for expressing his disgust in a recent meeting over comments Commissioner Stuart “Stu” Soffer made on a blog post regarding Pulaski County Clerk Terri Hollingsworth. “The governor and the Republican Party chairman both disavowed Soffer’s comments, and they’re going to censure me,” Davis said after the meeting Friday night. (Pine Bluff Commercial/Dale Ellis)

Jefferson County Election Commissioner Theodis "Ted" Davis was censured Friday night by a majority vote of the Election Commission after Chairman Michael Adam and Commissioner Stuart "Stu" Soffer voted in favor of the measure over comments Davis made at a recent commission meeting.

Adam described Davis' comments as a personal, partisan attack against Soffer when Davis expressed disgust at comments Soffer had made recently on the Arkansas Times blog in which he called Pulaski County Clerk Terri Hollingsworth a "cute b" in comments under the screen name "Razorblade."

"Over the past four days I have 22 emails from Pulaski County, Washington County, Crittenden, St. Francis, Desha, and the City of Texarkana," Davis said at the Sept. 10 meeting. "I have emails and texts about comments made about the Pulaski County Clerk referring to her as a b."

"My comment is that I find it to be despicable," Davis said.

As the meeting was ending, Soffer and Davis got into a brief but vigorous argument, after which Davis walked out.

"You, sir, are so full of horse s* it's unbelievable," Soffer called out after him.

"Well, I think we all just went right down the toilet there," Adam said.

Soffer's comment on the blog prompted the Democratic Party of Arkansas to call for his resignation from the Election Commission, and Party Chairman Michael John Gray called upon Gov. Asa Hutchinson to ask Soffer to step down.

"Do the right thing and ask the party to have [Soffer] resign," Gray said. "[Hutchinson's] the leader of the party but for whatever reason he's chosen not to do that, which is somewhat tacit support of that behavior."

Hutchinson did not call upon Soffer to resign or ask the Republican Party to ask him to step down, but both the governor and Doyle Webb, chairman of the Republican Party of Arkansas, disavowed Soffer's remarks.

"The comments are unacceptable," Hutchinson said via email Sept 16. "Respect for one another and elevating our civil discourse are essential elements of navigating the challenging issues our state and nation currently confront. I have spoken with Chair Doyle Webb and he has expressed my concern to Mr. Soffer."

Webb said that as election time approaches, tempers tend to flair and anxiety reaches a fever pitch.

"It's always my hope that we can work together," Webb said. "We need to make sure every vote is counted and that every vote is a legal vote. There is a certain amount of civility that's required, and I would call on Mr. Soffer to exercise that civility and to work with those who are on the other side of the aisle so that we have a good and fair election."

At least 20 people crowded into the small Election Commission office to witness Friday evening's meeting, including two representatives from the American Civil Liberties Union Voting Protection Project.

In a letter of complaint Soffer addressed to Adam, he wrote, "The objectionable post was completely unrelated to the Jefferson County Board of Election Commissioners. It did not mention Jefferson County, the Jefferson election commission and did not definitively identify me as the author."

Contacted by phone Friday night, Soffer was asked if he was indeed the author of the comments that Davis had objected to.

"Yes," Soffer answered. "But there are several of us who use that address, so it could have been anybody. They had no way of knowing for sure that it was me."

The letter concluded by asking for a formal, public reprimand of Davis' comments.

"As I stated at the meeting last time, some commissioners decided that they could bring up personal items that have nothing to do with Election Commission business and had nothing to do with the Jefferson County Election Commission and had no place in this meeting," Adam said. "The situation had to do with another county entirely; personal business is personal business, and it had nothing to do with this."

As Davis began to speak, Soffer, who admitted to having hearing problems that night, interrupted.

"I presented you a letter," Soffer began.

"So you recognize him," Davis said. "You were in the process of chastising me, but obviously he starts talking...."

"I didn't recognize you," Adam said.

"That's okay, that's okay," Davis responded.

"Go ahead, Mr. Soffer," Adam said.

"At the last meeting," Soffer said, "Commissioner Davis delivered a partisan personal attack. The outburst mirrored a similar attack against me by the Democratic Party chairman about a post in Pulaski County."

"Is this commission business?" asked Davis.

"It is commission business," Adam responded.

"You just mentioned that what I said was not commission business," Davis said. "Now, he brings the same thing up ... ."

"I have the floor," Soffer objected.

Adam said Soffer's complaint did constitute commission business, but that Davis' previous admonition about the issue did not.

"It's the same thing," Davis objected. "So now it's commission business?"

Soffer continued, characterizing Davis' comments as an "outrageous, unwarranted attack."

"Now, that don't bother me," Soffer said. "He makes them all the time, but this was not Election Commission business."

"Then why are we talking about it?" Davis asked.

"It was mirroring state Democratic Party partisan politics, and I ask for Commissioner Davis to be sanctioned," Soffer said. "Inside of this commission is no place for partisan politics."

Davis pointed out that his comments had come at the end of the meeting and that he had been recognized to speak by Adam.

"I did not insert that into commission business," he said. "I made that point at the very end of the meeting and you recognized me to say it ... ."

"Yes, Commissioner Soffer," Adam said as Soffer raised his hand, cutting Davis off, at which point groans and objections could be heard from those in attendance. At that point, Adam tried to cut Soffer off.

"I'm done, Commissioner Adam," Davis said. "I'm done."

"After the session," Soffer continued, "I would have no recourse but ... ."

"Commissioner Soffer, Commissioner Soffer" said Davis as Adam cut him off. "I've got it. That's okay."

"I'm through, Mr. Chairman," Davis said.

"Well, as I said," Adam began.

"I said, I'm through, Mr. Chairman," Davis said.

"This is my comment period," Adam retorted.

"I thought we were commenting initially, and now you're coming back to comment again," Davis said.

"As I said, this was not the place for you to make private, public comments about another commissioner, and I call for a vote for you to be censured," Adam said.

Soffer and Adam voted in favor of the censure. Davis was silent.

"That was unanimous or majority?" asked Soffer.

Davis asked what effect censure would have coming from the commission.

"Am I to be shot?" he asked. "Are you going to say something to me or do something to me? What exactly does censure mean coming from this Election Commission?"

"It means I would appreciate it if you would keep your comments to election business," Adam said.

"Okay, so you censured me," Davis continued. "So what happens to me? Do I go to jail? What does censure actually mean?"

"He's got a valid point," said Rizelle Aaron, one of the ACLU Voter Protection Project observers.

"What's that?" Adam said sharply. "Who's out of order?"

"You're talking to me, deal with me," Davis demanded.

"No, other people are making comments," Adam said. "And you haven't stopped long enough for me to tell you."

At that point, Soffer motioned for an adjournment and after just over 20 minutes, the meeting ended.

Another agenda item dealt with unpaid invoices the commission had sent to the office of County Judge Gerald Robinson for payment, which Adam said was intertwined with an agenda item to discuss the performance of Election Coordinator George Stepps, who both Soffer and Adam have had objections to since he was appointed by Robinson.

The agenda item to discuss Stepps' performance was pulled at the request of Soffer.

"I believe all of that was resolved with the county judge," Adam said, explaining why the item was pulled.

Asked how the matter was resolved, Adam was vague.

"I believe Mr. Soffer spoke with the chief of staff and got information cleared through her," Adam said. "I think there was bad information and they got that cleared up."

Asked about the source of the bad information, Adam said Stepps had relayed incorrect information to the county judge, and that based on that information, some invoices were being held up. But Robinson said the problem was due to a lack of communication between the election commissioners, not Stepps.

"Oh, no," Robinson said following the meeting. "What happened is that some of the information that they thought didn't happen, had happened. They thought that some of the things George had done had not been done, but until they talked with us they didn't know that."

Robinson said the commissioners had agreed to come talk with the judge's office and to clear up any misunderstandings.

"The county is not going to pay for any duplication of services," he said. "We want better communication."

Following the meeting, Davis, clearly angry, said Soffer and Adam have long had their way on the commission.

"Mr. Soffer has called me, in public, the N-word, he's said to the whole community to kiss his lily white a, he's pulled a gun on me two times," Davis said. "Both the governor and the chairman of the Republican Party of Arkansas have publicly disavowed his comments. But they are going to censure me? Because I objected to Mr. Soffer calling an elected official a b? Give me a break."

At least 20 people crowded into the small Election Commission office in Pine Bluff for Friday night's Election Commission meeting, during which Commission Ted Davis was censured by commissioners Mike Adam and Stu Soffer for comments Davis made Sept. 10 during a meeting objecting to profane comments Soffer made in comments to and Arkansas Times blog post about Pulaski County Clerk Terri Hollingsworth. (Pine Bluff Commercial/Dale Ellis)
At least 20 people crowded into the small Election Commission office in Pine Bluff for Friday night's Election Commission meeting, during which Commission Ted Davis was censured by commissioners Mike Adam and Stu Soffer for comments Davis made Sept. 10 during a meeting objecting to profane comments Soffer made in comments to and Arkansas Times blog post about Pulaski County Clerk Terri Hollingsworth. (Pine Bluff Commercial/Dale Ellis)

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