Files on state funds’ use by Ecclesia objective of amended suit
FAYETTEVILLE — An amended lawsuit filed Tuesday against Ecclesia College seeks to obtain documents about what the college did with state money it received.
Arkansas legislators gave nearly $700,000 of taxpayers’ money to the private, Christian college from the state’s General Improvement Fund.
The amended suit filed Tuesday by attorneys for Jim Parsons asks a judge to hold a hearing within seven days.
Ecclesia has twice asked a judge to dismiss Parsons’ lawsuit
“Ecclesia has received hundreds of thousands of dollars of public funding through or from the Arkansas General Improvement Fund, which is publicly funded by the Arkansas General Assembly,” according to the response filed Tuesday by Chip Sexton, an attorney for Parsons.
Parsons’ lawsuit says the documents are related to a kickback scheme.
“It has also expended public funds including, on information and belief, expending certain public funds as direct or indirect kickbacks to one or more Arkansas state legislators as compensation for obtaining public funding for Ecclesia from the Arkansas General Improvement Fund,” the amended suit says.
It adds that only documents related to public funding of the college are being sought.
The lawsuit, originally filed Feb. 9 in Washington County Circuit Court, contends private organizations receiving public money, engaging in activities that are of public interest, carrying on work intertwined with a government body or receiving grants to promote economic development are subject to the requirements of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.
Parsons is chairman of the Benton County chapter of Transparency in Government Group. He said he’s a former Ecclesia board member and faculty member.
Ecclesia earlier filed a response contending too much time has passed without a court hearing, making the lawsuit moot. The motion also argues the open-records law does not apply to Ecclesia because it is a private institution. The college claims the receipt of some public money is not sufficient to bring it within the coverage of the Freedom of Information Act.
Attorneys for Parsons contend state law allows an expedited process, but there’s no requirement for such a hearing. They argue their amended suit and request for a hearing makes Ecclesia’s argument moot.
Ecclesia’s receipt of the grant money entered the spotlight after former state Rep. Micah Neal, R-Springdale, pleaded guilty in federal court Jan. 4 to taking a pair of kickbacks totaling $38,000 for helping two entities receive grants through the state’s General Improvement Fund.
Former Sen. Jon Woods, R-Springdale, has since been indicted on 11 counts of honest-services wire fraud, one count of honest-services mail fraud and one count of money laundering. Denying “honest services” by an elected official is a public corruption charge. Woods has pleaded innocent.
Also indicted in the kickback scheme are the college’s president, Oren Paris III of Springdale, and Randell Shelton Jr. of Alma, a consultant. Each was indicted on nine counts of honest-services wire fraud and one count of honest-services mail fraud. Both have pleaded innocent. The next court date for all three is May 8.