Tolbert: Ethics Commission Fines Bookout $4,000 For 2010 Campaign Violations

You may recall that last August I noted former Sen. Paul Bookout’s 2010 campaign expenses appeared to have similar issues as his 2012 campaign.

Last summer, the Arkansas Ethics Commission fined Bookout $8,000 primarily for spending 2012 campaign funds on personal expenses, such as a home entertainment system, women’s clothing, and cash withdrawals that were unaccounted for.

The total unitemized expenses from his 2010 campaign totaled over $93,000, including over $25,000 of campaign funds distributed in his final campaign report and $15,800 in carryover funds that were not subsequently reported.

In December, I followed up on my research with a formal ethics complaint asking the commission to look into his 2010 expenses.  The statute of limitations for filing an ethics complaint is four years, which was about to run out for some of his reports filed for 2009.  Although an investigation is still ongoing – now for almost 8 months – it appeared that Bookout’s 2010 campaign expenses would not be examined by the commission unless I filed the citizen complaint.

I heard back Thursday (April 3) from the commission which let me know in short that Bookout signed a consent order agreeing that he misspent 2010 campaign funds, as I alleged in my complaint, and fined him $4,000 (in addition to the $8,000 the commission separately fined him for his 2012 expenses).

The letter addressed to Bookout reads…

On April 1, 2014, you signed a Consent Order pursuant to which it was agreed that the Commission make a finding that you violated: (1) Ark. Code Ann. § 7-6-203(g) and (h)(4)(A) by using a significant portion your 2010 campaign funds and carryover funds to make expenditures for items not related to your campaign or office as a State Senator, (ii) Ark. Code Ann. § 7-6-203(h)(1) and (4)(C) by failing to file any 2010 carryover fund reports, (iii) Ark. Code Ann. § 7-6-206 by failing to maintain sufficient records of all campaign and carryover fund expenditures made in connection with your 2010 campaign, and (iv) Ark. Code Ann. § 7-6-207(b)(1)(A), (B), (C), and (E) – (I) by failing to disclose all contributions (itemized and nonitemized) received and all expenditures (itemized and nonitemized) made, including the distribution of surplus campaign fund, on your 2010 C&E reports, all in your capacity as a candidate for State Senator – District 14 during the 2010 election cycle.

The letter goes on to state that the commission is issuing a “Public Letter of Reprimand” based on the violation.  The commission ordered Bookout to pay a fine of $4,000 no later than May 1, 2014 – $1,000 for each of the four violations they found.  They also ordered him to file amended financial disclosure statements with the Secretary of State no later than May 15, 2014.

The consent order is signed by Arkansas Ethics Commission Chairman William Bird on April 2, 2014 and by Paul Bookout on April 1, 2014.