Dear Sen. Clark:
I am writing because I recently read an article about the hiring of your wife, Jana Clark, to work in the state treasurer's office; further the article stated that the position pays an annual salary of $52,000.
I have several questions. First, is this information accurate? Specifically, was your wife hired to work in the state treasurer's office? Is her annual salary $52,000 (or thereabout)?
If your wife works in the state treasurer's office and her annual salary is $52,000, I would like to know if the state treasurer got approval for this hire. Under Arkansas law, when hiring the relatives of constitutional officers (state legislators are deemed "constitutional officers") at a starting annual salary greater than $42,000, the department head must get prior approval from both the governor and a legislative committee. According to published news accounts, on at least one prior occasion, state Treasurer Milligan failed to follow this law. Mulligan hired his cousin, failed to obtain prior approval. Eventually Milligan reached a settlement with the Arkansas attorney general's office and agreed to pay a $1,000 fine and reimburse the taxpayers $6,900 for the salary paid to his cousin.
Published reports claim that your wife has told multiple people that her job is to function as a "legislative liaison."
If your wife was hired to work in the state treasurer's office, can you tell me the job title of the position she filled? What are the job duties? What are her qualifications for the position? Was the position publicly advertised? What hours does she work?
Rumors are always in the forefront regarding politics. Untrue rumors can be harmful. I, for one, despise when half-truths and misinformation are passed off as the truth. Your answers to my questions will allow me to know the truth.
Please, find the time to respond to my inquiry.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Verna E. Linder
Hot Springs
Editorial on 03/25/2015