Ark. lt. gov. says he'll resign over ethics case [View all]
Source: The AP
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas Lt. Gov. Mark Darr said Friday he would leave office Feb. 1, giving in to pressure from Democrats and fellow Republicans who said his impeachment was inevitable over ethics violations tied to his campaign and office spending.
Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe and Republican members of the state's congressional delegation had begun calling for Darr to resign on Dec. 31, a day after he agreed to pay $11,000 fines imposed by the state Ethics Commission for 11 separate violations, including making personal use of more than $30,000 of his campaign funds. Darr insisted that those violations, as well as improper spending a separate agency found on his state credit card, were unintentional, and had vowed to stay in office.
In a statement released by his office Friday evening, Darr said, "Politics can be a toxic business. I will no longer subject my family to its hard lessons." He had submitted his resignation to House Speaker Davy Carter and Senate President Michael Lamoureux.
Republican leaders in the Legislature expressed relief at Darr's decision. His refusal to leave office had threatened to overshadow GOP efforts in November to build on recent electoral gains, including the party's takeover of the state Legislature in the 2012 election.
Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/ark-lt-gov-says-hell-resign-over-ethics-case
Looks like he changed his mind from what he said on Tuesday: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014691706
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