Tolbert: Important Timeline On Milligan-Baird Story

There is an important timeline that should be examined in the evolving story involving Dennis Milligan’s attempt to bullying Rep. Duncan Baird out of the Republican primary for state treasurer.

This timeline is based on actual documents and evidence although even more documents have been requested in Freedom of Information requests submitted by The Tolbert Report.

• October 17, 2013 – Special legislative session convenes to consider fix for Arkansas Public School Employees Health Insurance premium increase.
• October 18 – 1:44 am to 2:25 am – State Reps. Duncan Baird, Davy Carter, Micah Neal, and John Burris visit the state capitol along with Katherine Vasilos and her friend.  They request access to the roof and are told no by capitol police.  Baird is at the capitol for approximately 41 minutes according to reports.
• October 18 – 6:46 am – Capitol police officer Darrell Hedden sends a brief email to Secretary of State employees Kelly Boyd and chief of staff Doug Matayo informing them of the visit and that “the officers were told that Secretary Martin would be contacted to rectify this, and they would return the next night for a trip to the roof.”
• October 18 – 8:04 am – Boyd requests Hedden prepare a more detailed response listing all legislators involved, a recap of the events, and put together a video of the event and forward this to Boyd.
• October 18 – 9:34 am – As instructed, Hedden sends a more detailed email to Boyd and  Mayato along with a video (seen here from Arkansas Times.)
• October 19 – Just after midnight, the special legislative session ends.
• November 4 – Jim Harris – chief of staff for Dennis Milligan in the Saline County Circuit Clerk’s office – delivers a FOI request to Secretary of State Mark Martin requesting emails of anyone attempting “to gain access to the roof of the Capitol after the normal business hours between the dates of October 6, 2013, and October 19, 2013” as well as any related “security video.”
• November 6 – Secretary of State’s office responds by producing the emails and video mentioned above detailing the events of the early morning hours of October 18.
• November 7 – approximately 1:30 pm – Milligan calls Baird requesting a meeting.
• November 7 – approximately 3:45 pm – Milligan meets with Baird at Krispy Kreme in west Little Rock.  Audio from Baird has Milligan showing him the emails and describing the video as well as describing photos from earlier in the evening of October 17.  Milligan tells Baird “you’re finding a new career, you’re not gonna run for State Treasurer. Ok? Unless you want to see this on the 7:00 news.” And also “If you change your mind within a couple of hours, let me know.”
• November 8 – 9:11 am – Andrew DeMillo, reporter for the Associated Press, sends a FOI request to the Secretary of State for all other FOI requests in November and the responses.
• November 8 – 9:49 am – DeMillo modifies this request to “Any correspondence, including emails, between the state Capitol Police and the Secretary of State’s office since Oct. 18, 2013; any audio or video surveillance footage from the state Capitol between 12:01 a.m. and 4 a.m. on Oct. 18, 2013; and any correspondence between state Capitol Police or the Secretary of State’s office and any members or staff of the House of Representatives since Oct. 18, 2013.”
• November 12 – 7:23 pm – Max Brantley of the Arkansas Times makes a similar FOI request with the Secretary of State’s office.
• November 13 – 4:16 pm – Brantley posts first public report of the October 18 capitol visit on the blog for the Arkansas Times.

Why does this timeline matter?  Milligan maintains that his “intentions were honorable to meet with Duncan to let him be aware of the families of the people of everybody that was going to be hurt.”  However, the timeline shows that the only FOI filed before his meeting with Baird was by his chief of staff Harris.  The next request and first one from the press occurred the morning after Milligan met with Baird and gave him a two-hour deadline to get back to him.

None of this is speculation.  All of this is based on the facts and evidence.