LITTLE ROCK (AP) - An ethics complaint was filed Monday against Mike Huckabee accusing the former Arkansas governor of violating state law by not revealing donors to a private fund used to raise money for his official portrait.
Jim Parsons of Bella Vista says he filed the complaint accusing the Republican presidential hopeful of violating a 2001 law requiring the governor to report donors of gifts he receives on behalf of the state.
Ethics commission director Graham Sloan says he is prohibited by state law from discussing matters before the panel. The state Department of Finance and Administration helped manage for Huckabee's office a private special events fund, which has since closed. Two donors said they gave money to the fund for Huckabee's portrait, but a report filed with the state's Ethics Commission lists the portrait's artist as the sole donor.
Huckabee's financial interest statements, filed with the secretary of state's office, lists no donation to the special events fund or for a portrait.
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Huckabee last week said he would have no problem with the fund's donors being revealed, but his campaign has not released the list of contributors. Alice Stewart, a spokeswoman for Huckabee's campaign, did not immediately respond to a call or an e-mail seeking comment today.
Parsons has filed numerous ethics complaints against politicians over the years and the Ethics Commission last year dismissed two complaints he filed against Huckabee over the destruction of hard drives from the former governor's office.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
