After months of controversy, Lt. Gov. Mark Darr finally resigned Friday, promising to repay thousands of dollars he took improperly from his campaign and thousands more he bilked the state for travel expenses.
Darr, who owns a string of pizza parlors, will likely spend more time at his business now that he’s resigned.
He was found to have misused $31,000 in campaign donations for personal expenses, including food, clothing, jewelry and more, as well as claiming $9,800 in improper reimbursements for travel expenses he billed the state for which he was not entitled to claim.
That’s about $40,000 he took from campaign donors and taxpayers and will have to give back to donors and the state. Former Sen. Paul Bookout (D-Jonesboro) resigned last year for improperly taking about $50,000 from donors. He’s said to have returned the money.
In addition, Darr has yet to pay an $11,000 fine to the state Ethics Commission, although he reportedly has worked out a monthly payment plan.
He was ill-suited for public office, but he always seemed to remember our deadlines. Darr may not have read The Leader, but he’d make important announcements about his future just before we went to press. He made good copy: He was an easy target, to be sure. Credit the Democratic blogger Matt Campbell for exposing Darr’s shenanigans and hastening his departure.
Similarly, it was the Arkansas Times blog that helped force out Treasurer Martha Shoffner, who allegedly took bribes from small bond brokers in return for state business, costing taxpayers thousands of dollars in lost interest. Darr, a Republican, and Shoffner, a Democrat, prove that corruption cuts across party lines.
There’s no hurry to replace Darr until after the November election, thus saving the state treasury most of the money those corrupt officials stole from the taxpayers.
