Secretary of State payroll records raise questions

A story from the “Blue Hog Report” reveals a potential payroll record problem in the office of Arkansas Secretary of State Mark Martin.

Matt Campbell, owner of the Democrat-leaning Blue Hog Report, obtained the payroll records of Princella Smith, the former Director of Education for Martin, to show that she was recorded as working a full eight hours in the office during a time it was clear she was not working on state time.

On April 12, Smith was arrested and booked in Wynne, Ark., for driving without proof of insurance, driving without a state-issued license and driving with a suspended license.

And beginning Feb. 7, Smith taught a political science class at East Arkansas Community College-Wynne on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

However, Campbell’s research showed Smith to have been recorded as working full days during the April 12 incident and while teaching in Wynne, which is just less than 2 hours from Little Rock.

“Despite being away from the Capitol for at least 4 hours and 45 minutes in the middle of the day (April 12), she managed to work an eight-hour day at the Capitol,” Campbell noted in the report.

Campbell’s research also found that Smith was logged for 8 hours of work on the day she faxed her resignation to Martin, and was credited with 8 hours on Feb. 9, when the Capitol was essentially closed because of a snow storm in central Arkansas.

Campbell, who has dogged Martin — a Republican — for various alleged discrepancies since he took office, said Smith must have invented time travel to be able to log time in the office when she is out of the office.

“How else would you explain that other than Princella Smith has invented a flux capacitor — maybe she got stopped in Wynne for going 88 mph? — and was able to travel back in time after she left the jail? Oh, sure, I suppose you could explain it as ‘someone was letting her submit time sheets that claimed hours that she did not work,’ but that seems overly pessimistic,” Campbell chided.

Martin also took some heat recently for expenses related to his service on the Board of Apportionment.

The City Wire has requested comment about Campbell’s payroll research from the Secretary of State’s office.