Secretary of State nominee questions bass boat spending of Land Commissioner

The Democratic nominee for Secretary of State, Susan Inman, questioned a nearly $30,000 boat purchase by her GOP opponent, Commissioner of State Lands John Thurston.

Inman and Thurston are vying for the Secretary of State’s post held by term-limited Mark Martin, a Republican. Thurston, who was first elected in 2010, is term-limited as state Land Commissioner.

A recent post at Blue Hog Report outlined the purchase and use of a boat, a 18.5-foot War Eagle watercraft, by Thurston’s office in 2014. Inman called the boat purchase a “boondoggle bass boat,” but Thurston’s office defended its use.

“The Commissioner of State Lands is charged with certain responsibilities over the navigable waterways of the State under Ark. Code Ann. § 22-6-201, et seq. In the discharge of those responsibilities, the need arises to visit sites on waterways of the State from time to time. Numerous site visits have been made over the years to determine such issues as to whether a waterway is navigable and whether private citizens are attempting to claim ownership of property that should be held in trust for the use of all Arkansans. The War Eagle watercraft that was purchased in 2014 was procured for the purpose of discharging these responsibilities,” according to a statement from Thurston press spokeswoman Nikki Heck.

Heck also said the boat is used to conduct site visits to examine debris on which complaints have been received “and a multitude of other navigable waterways complaints.” According to the Blue Hog Report, the boat has been used six times since 2014.

Inman criticized the purchase and other receipts related to the boat that totaled more than $28,000. She said the Land Commissioner could have used one of the boats owned by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission for the statutory purposes required.

“John Thurston is the latest in a growing list of Arkansas elected officials who waste our tax dollars and treat our money like it’s their personal piggybank,” said Inman. “John Thurston spent nearly $30,000 of our money to buy an unneeded, souped-up, tricked-out bass boat. Thurston wanted a new toy, but he didn’t want to pay for it.”

“The Game and Fish Commission has roughly 600 boats that John Thurston could have borrowed for free, but he wanted us to buy him a new toy instead,” said Inman. “What’s worse is the Land Commissioner’s Office says they’ve only officially used this boat just six times in four years, so Arkansans are paying thousands of dollars to store Thurston’s toy.”

Heck said the Land Commissioner’s office has worked with Game and Fish on complaints in the past, but the office felt it could not act timely on some investigations due to the nature agency’s seasonal obligations. She cited a houseboat sunk in the Little Maumelle River as the instance that triggered a more immediate need for the boat.

“The intent was to be able to act upon complaints quickly because the situation with the houseboat removal proved that the longer time elapsed, the more entrenched the debris had become, making it more dangerous and removal more difficult. At the time right after the removal process, the COSL did go on some expeditions with AGFC personnel; however, they were not always available and were restricted due to their own seasonal duties and responsibilities. The COSL did not want to rely on other state agencies to perform its responsibilities,” Heck said.

Inman was unconvinced of the expenditure as a prudent one for the office or for taxpayers.

“If this is how Thurston treats your tax dollars, just imagine how he’d manage your personal records, your business records, and your voting information as Secretary of State,” said Inman. “I’m going to do serious work once elected. My opponent? Well, he’d rather go fishing on your dime.”

Heck denied that Thurston had used the boat for personal outings.

“[T]he watercraft purchased and any associated expenditures were made for the sole purpose of fulfilling the office’s responsibilities under Ark. Code Ann. § 22-6-201 et seq. The boat and any gear purchased in connection therewith have never been intended or used for fishing or other personal recreational purposes,” she said.