Bryant lawmaker settles contribution complaint
State Rep. R.J. Hawk, R-Bryant, has settled an ethics complaint with the Arkansas Ethics Commission about his acceptance of a contribution from the Saline County Republican Women group and the commission has issued him a public letter of caution.
Commission Director Graham Sloan said in a letter dated Dec. 4 to Hawk that the commission sent him a letter Aug. 3 containing a copy of the complaint filed against him as a candidate for state House District 81 during the 2022 election cycle, and the commission is in receipt of a consent order that he signed Nov. 15.
Sloan said Hawk agreed to a finding by the commission that he violated Arkansas Code Annotated 7-6-203(a)(1) (B) by accepting a contribution from a contributor not found on the list of permissible contributors.
Hawk said Tuesday the Saline County Republican Women had previously been a political action committee and wasn’t a political action committee when he accepted a contribution from the group.
“I didn’t realize that,” he said.
Hawk reported returning the contribution to the Saline County Republican Women on Sept. 7.
Hawk is one of four state officials to settle an ethics complaint with the Arkansas Ethics Commission about their acceptance of a contribution from the Saline County Republican Women group and for whom the commission issued a public letter of caution.
The others are District Judge Chris Carnahan of Conway, an unsuccessful state Supreme Court candidate last year; and state Reps. Mary Bentley, R-Perryville, and Tony Furman, R-Benton.
Bentley and Furman have said they returned their $300 contributions to the Saline County Republican Women group.
In October 2022, thenstate Treasurer candidate Mark Lowery, a Republican from Maumelle, also reported receiving a $300 contribution from the Saline County Republican Women. In November, Lowery was elected as state treasurer. He died July 26.
In July, the Arkansas Ethics Commission dismissed a complaint against the Saline County Republican Women that accused the group of failing to comply with state registration and reporting requirements.
The commission voted 4-0 to dismiss the complaint on the grounds that while Saline County Republican Women made contributions to five candidates, it didn’t accept the money “for the purpose of making contributions to candidates” and, therefore, wasn’t required to register and report as a political action committee, the commission said in a letter explaining its decision.
At that time, the commission also found that although Saline County Republican Women was not included in the list of permissible contributors found in Arkansas Code Annotated 7-6-203, liability for its contributions does not fall on the organization. Instead, liability falls on candidates who accept impermissible contributions.
The Arkansas Ethics Commission’s investigation began after Chris Simpson filed a citizen complaint, alleging that Saline County Republican Women was acting as a political action committee without adequately registering and reporting its status with the Arkansas secretary of state’s office.
In July, Sloan said the organization didn’t fit in any of the five categories of permissible contributors to candidates: individual, political party, county political party committee, legislative caucus committee or approved PAC.
“If you’re not on the list when making a contribution, there’s no liability for making the contribution,” he said at that time. “It’s on the candidate for accepting it.”