LITTLE ROCK -- Mayor Frank Scott Jr. violated Arkansas law by traveling to and from campaign events in a city-owned vehicle without his campaign reimbursing the city for the mileage during his 2022 reelection bid, according to a final action letter issued Friday by the Arkansas Ethics Commission.
In a 4-1 vote on April 21, commissioners found that probable cause existed for finding Scott in violation of the law concerning his use of the city-owned vehicle, the letter said. Scott Irby, the chairman of the five-member commission, voted no.
Scott signed a May 8 offer of settlement with the commission in which he acknowledged the commission would make a finding that he violated Ark. Code Ann. § 7-1-103(a)(3), according to the final action letter.
The mayor paid a $250 fine and has been issued a public letter of caution, the least-serious of the disciplinary letters available for the commission to issue.
Arkansas law prohibits public servants using "for campaign purposes any item of personal property provided with public funds."
Scott is protected by a security detail and is driven around in an SUV when attending events or otherwise carrying out his duties as mayor.
The complaint that triggered the Ethics Commission's investigation was submitted on Nov. 1, 2022 by Matthew Campbell, a local attorney and the author of the "Blue Hog Report" blog.
In addition to citing Scott's reliance on a city-owned SUV and security provided by Little Rock Police Department officers during the campaign, Campbell's complaint claimed a city employee passed along a resident's request for a campaign sign to Scott's chief of staff and administrative assistant.
The request for a sign initially was submitted through the city's 311 phone system and then passed along using city employees' email addresses, Campbell wrote, calling it another violation of Arkansas law.
The commission documents issued Friday did not provide official conclusions regarding the other elements of Campbell's complaint beyond Scott's use of the city-owned vehicle.
During the lead-up to the Nov. 8 election, Campbell went to court to force City Hall under Scott to turn over public records the blogger had requested pursuant to the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.
Scott won a second term on Nov. 8, defeating three challengers and avoiding a December runoff election.