State treasurer’s employee fired

Singer says he doesn’t know why

LITTLE ROCK — State Treasurer Dennis Milligan’s former outreach manager said Tuesday he doesn’t know why he was dismissed Monday from his job in Milligan’s office.

D av i d Singer of White Hall had held the $ 65,000- a- year job since Jan. 14, one day after Milligan took office, according to Milligan spokesman Grant Wallace.

Singer, 51, said when he walked into the office Monday morning, chief of staff Jim Harris told him to come into his office and he “gave me a speech,” and he told him he no longer had a job.

He said Harris didn’t explain why he was being fired.

“I literally have no idea,” said Singer.

“For the past year, it has been a very hectic year,” Singer said, adding his wife died in June and he has two sons. He said he worked for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s circulation department from July-January after working for Stephens Media.

He said Harris declined to allow him to meet with Milligan.

Wallace said “we have a a standing policy not to discuss personnel matters.

“I will just say that

employees of the Treasurer’s office are at will, he was told this and told his services were no longer needed,” he said.

“As chief of staff, Jim Harris is responsible for carrying out any terminations within the office. There would be no reason for anyone who has been terminated to visit with the treasurer,” Wallace said.

In July, Singer filed an ethics complaint against Milligan’s Democratic opponent for state treasurer, Karen Garcia of Hot Springs.

In September, Garcia agreed to be issued a public letter of caution by the state Ethics Commission in a settlement of Singer’s complaint. She agreed she violated state law by omitting the address of a contributor on her March campaign finance report and by listing an incorrect amount on her June campaign finance report as the cumulative total received during the entire election cycle.

Singer’s departure comes while another treasurer’s office employee, deputy chief of staff Jason Brady, is on paid leave.

Brady, who makes $81,600 a year, will be out off the office through today, Wallace said.

Milligan wants to review Brady’s email from 2013 and 2014 when Brady was working as a lobbyist for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and also as Milligan’s volunteer campaign manager, Wallace said Monday.

Milligan wants to verify the authenticity of email attributed to Brady, Wallace said.

The Arkansas News Bureau reported Sunday email Brady sent in 2013 and 2014 shows he did business for Milligan’s campaign using the network’s email account during regular business hours on numerous occasions. The email also shows Brady planned for a conference call using the network’s phone system and told fellow campaign workers, in an email, seeking reimbursement for an expense, that “for job security, my name can NOT be listed anywhere on a campaign contribution report,” according to the Arkansas News Bureau.

The cancer-fighting group is a non-profit organization that doesn’t endorse political candidates.

Ray Carson, associate director of media advocacy for network’s southern region in Tampa, said Tuesday “we are dealing with that internally. What happened was a violation of internal policies.”

“ACSCAN has strict policies in place with regard to personal political campaign activity. We educate our staff regularly on these policies and take violations very seriously,” he said. Brady worked for the group for seven years until January, he said.

“We learned about these allegations shortly before the initial report was published,” Carson said.

Brady couldn’t be reached for comment by telephone Tuesday.

Milligan’s campaign emails have already been deleted, Wallace said.

It’s unclear how the treasurer’s office would verify their authenticity.

Carson said “I am not aware of anyone from treasurer’s office who has reached out to us” regarding Brady’s email.

Carson said Wallace worked for the group for six years until January.

Wallace confirmed “the treasurer has not reached out the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.”

Asked how Milligan plans to review Brady’s email, Wallace said Milligan “is reaching out to those involved in the campaign and having discussions about what went on and reviewing with Jason what happened.”