Justice calls ads ‘old fake news’

D.C. group spending $163,845 to tar Goodson; donors veiled

Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Courtney Goodson responded Friday to a series of negative advertisements about her that hit the airwaves and voters’ mailboxes this week, calling the ads “old fake news.”

The ads were paid for by a conservative Washington, D.C., group, the Judicial Crisis Network, which previously spent more than $600,000 to attack Goodson during her failed 2016 bid for chief justice.

The Judicial Crisis Network, which is not publicly affiliated with any of the candidates in the race, is not required by federal or state law to disclose its donors.

The total cost of the TV ads the group has purchased in Northwest and central Arkansas is $163,845, according to filings with the Federal Communications Commission.

“Dark money strikes again, and I want to speak directly to it,” Goodson said in a short video posted to her campaign’s Instagram account.

Asked why the Judicial Crisis Network was getting involved in the Arkansas Supreme Court race, policy director Carrie Severino

referred a reporter to a spokesman, who simply repeated the group’s advertising claims in an email. The spokesman also declined to say how much the group planned to spend in the race.

As it did two years ago, the group pounced on gifts Goodson reported receiving on official disclosure filings, including a $50,000 trip to Italy in 2012 paid for by a friend and business partner of her husband, John Goodson.

That gift and others disclosed by the justice were the subject of media scrutiny at the time. Goodson has promised to recuse from cases involving the giver, attorney W.H. Taylor.

In addition, a mailer delivered Thursday said Goodson requested a pay raise of $18,000 last year to “support her lavish lifestyle.” The pay raise of $18,315 was requested by Chief Justice Dan Kemp on behalf of all the court’s six associate justices. Kemp, who defeated Goodson in the 2016 chief justice race, said the raise would bring Arkansas’ justices in line with what justices are paid in other states.

Instead, the commission that sets the salaries of public officials approved the same 2 percent raise for the justices that it gave most officials in 2017. The pay of each of the six associate justices went from $166,500 from $169,830 a year. Kemp’s pay went from $180,000 to $183,600.

In her response to the ads, Goodson defended herself regarding both claims.

“If I’m guilty of anything, I’m guilty of taking an overseas trip with my husband and my friends. I am not guilty of taking money from people,” Goodson said. “I am truly grateful for the cost-ofliving increase that was given to the entire judiciary in Arkansas.”

Both men who are vying to unseat Goodson, Court of Appeals Judge Kenneth Hixson and David Sterling, denied having anything to do with the ads.

Kemp said in a text message Friday that the requested pay increase was made on behalf of the entire court, but he did not comment on the ads claim that Goodson was behind the request.

Also Friday, the Republican State Leadership Committee filed paperwork with the FCC announcing that it had purchased $38,935 worth of ads supporting Sterling.

The committee’s ad buy was first reported by The Associated Press. Sterling did not reply to a phone call seeking comment.

The ads come less than a month before the election, which will be held May 22. Earlier this spring, several Arkansans reported receiving a robocall that at first appeared to be a political poll, before delivering negative information about both Goodson and Hixson.

Sterling, who was reportedly praised in the phone call, has denied involvement. He said he’s heard of other “push polls” attacking him.

In a phone call Thursday, Sterling said he is preparing his own television spots. Hixson also has debuted a campaign ad, which features him talking about his experience working on his family’s farm and does not mention his opponents.

“If I’m guilty of anything, I’m guilty of taking an overseas trip with my husband and my friends.”

— Courtney Goodson, Arkansas Supreme Court justice

Goodson