Fite alleges State Police helped Post campaign (Update)

The fracas between Tom Fite and State Rep.-elect Leslee Post appears far from over.

Prior to the Nov. 2 election, Fite (R) faced Leslee Milam Post (D) for the Arkansas House District 83 seat opened with the term-limited Rep. Beverly Pyle, R-Cedarville, unable to seek re-election.

A legal challenge to Fite’s ballot status came from Michael Grulkey, who filed a lawsuit in Pulaski County Circuit Court saying Fite has a 1984 criminal conviction that makes him ineligible for election. Fite faced a federal jury trial in February 1984 on several counts of medicaid fraud and bribery. The trial, held in the Eastern District of Arkansas, ended in a mistrial, and Fite eventually pleaded guilty to a lesser misdemeanor charge and was given three years probation.

“The plain language of the Constitution of the State of Arkansas prohibits one convicted of bribery from holding public office, and Mr. Fite has been convicted of aiding and abetting medicaid bribery,” Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge Collins Kilgore noted in his ruling issued Oct. 27.

Kilgore ordered that Fite’s name be excluded from election ballots and ordered election officials to not count the votes for Fite.

On Nov. 1, the Arkansas Supreme Court upheld the ruling.

Friday morning (Nov. 5), Fite sent a brief statement to the media alleging that a member of the Arkansas State Police used the state’s information system to gather information about Fite. Fite told The City Wire that the officer did this to help the Post campaign in its effort to remove him from the ballot.

The full statement from Fite noted: “Tom Fite for State Representative Campaign has handed over information it has collected over the past week to the Sebastian County Prosecutors Office today. Over the past week we have received information that alleges a member of the State Police illegally accessed ACIC for information related to Tom Fite’s past, which is a felony. We hope the investigation will be quick and thorough. We also hope justice will be swift.”

Arkansas State Police spokesman Bill Sadler said the ASP Criminal Investigation Division is investigating the allegation.

Post was in Little Rock on Friday as the new Arkansas House members selected committees and participated in orientation.

“I don’t have any control over what he does. I’m just going to keep on working for the people of Arkansas. I’m down here right now, and we drew committees and I’m looking forward to moving on and learning all I can,” Post said.

Sebastian County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Shue said he has turned the investigation over to the proper state authorities and will wait to analyze and critique their results. Barring any unusual delays, Shue said the investigation should take no longer than two weeks.