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Huckabee's request for rewritten caution letter denied Saturday, Jun 21, 2008 By Rob Moritz Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - The state Ethics Commission has rejected a request to rewrite a letter of caution issued to former Gov. Mike Huckabee for failing to disclose donors to a fund that paid for his Capitol portrait, the panel's director said Friday. Huckabee attorney Kevin Crass said later he was "disappointed but not surprised" by the decision and that Ethics Director Graham Sloan consulted with just the commission's chairman, and not the full commission, before making the decision. Crass asked the commission last month rewrite the letter of caution to clarify that Huckabee did not acknowledge violating state law when he agreed to settle a complaint by Jim Parsons of Bella Vista over who paid for his portrait that hands in the state Capitol. The letter of caution, which Huckabee accepted in early May, said the former governor acknowledged he violated a 2001 law requiring him to report the names of those giving gifts to him on behalf of the state. Crass wanted that portion of the letter deleted. He has denied Huckabee admitted to any wrongdoing in accepting the settlement. "For more than 10 years, such language has been routinely included in public letters issued in cases resolved by written offer of settlement," Sloan wrote Crass in a letter dated May 21 and provided to reporters Friday. Sloan wrote in the letter that he consulted with Commission Chairman Larry Ross before writing the letter denying the request. "The director and the chairman decided on their own and I think that's unfortunate," Crass said Friday, adding he may attend the next commission meeting and ask to address the commission at that time. "What the governor signed did not acknowledge a violation of the law and in fact that language was specifically removed from what he signed at our request, and the director decided to use their form letter to transmit their offer." Parson's complaint accused Huckabee of violating state ethics laws when he failed to list the donors on a quarterly financial disclosure report. Huckabee listed only the name of the artist as contributor on the fourth-quarter 2007 disclosure. In April, the former governor disclosed 61 people, including staff members, lobbyists and Huckabee appointees contributed nearly $32,000 to a private fund used to pay for the portrait. The disclosure came the same day the Ethics Commission met behind closed doors to consider Parson's complaint. |
