Mayor’s campaign owes $75,000

LR’s Scott yet to pay consultants; Rockefellers top donors

Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr.’s campaign ended the race nearly $75,000 in debt, a report shows.

The report, filed last week, lists three outstanding fees for consulting services remaining to be paid. The campaign owes $62,562.36 to McLarty Consulting of Little Rock; $10,000 to Pine Street Strategies of Washington, D.C.; and $2,000 to Frost PLLC in Little Rock.

Scott raised roughly $481,000 during his 15-month campaign, which began with an exploratory committee in September 2017, reports filed with the Pulaski County clerk’s office show.

The mayor’s top donors in the final weeks leading up to the Dec. 4 runoff were family members of the late Lt. Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller, who had been financially supportive earlier in the campaign.

Six members of the family — Caroline, Will, John Alexander, Louis, Colin and Lisenne — made the maximum legal contribution of $2,700. Will Rockefeller is a co-chairman of a board of directors for Scott’s transition into office and serves on a subcommittee dealing with government reform, one of eight the mayor has formed to help set a “playbook” for his time in office.

Harriett Phillips, a onetime staff member in former Gov. Mike Beebe’s administration who serves as one of Scott’s transition advisers, gave $2,000.

Scott’s campaign website was active as of Thursday and was used last month to gather applications from the community for subcommittees. Stephanie Jackson of The Design Group coordinated media outreach during Scott’s campaign and continues to be a spokesman for the mayor. Scott’s campaign had paid the marketing firm for consulting services.

Answers to questions about campaign funding from an Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reporter were not immediately available from Scott or his team Thursday evening.

Baker Kurrus, Scott’s opponent in the runoff, had not yet submitted an end-of-campaign report as of Thursday evening but plans to file one soon, said Simon Lee, a consultant on his campaign.

Kurrus raised $470,872 during his campaign and spent $470,468, according to Lee. That left a carry-over of $404, which Kurrus donated to the nonprofit Industries for the Blind, he said.

Warwick Sabin, who came in about 600 votes fewer than Kurrus in the general election, reported raising $370,623.28 during his campaign and spending $354,201.74.

In a text message Thursday evening, Sabin said he had not yet decided what he’d do with his carry-over fund of $16,421.54. After a campaign, candidates may return the money to donors, give it to charity, or save it for a future campaign.

Former Mayor Mark Stodola, whose last day in office was Dec. 31, reported having $78,575.14 left over from his last campaign. The account accrues interest. Stodola has said he plans to make charitable donations with the money.

Stodola was elected to his third term as mayor in 2014, and announced in May that he would not seek a fourth.