By fitsnews – September 11, 2012
CHECK OUT ARKANSAS …
When it comes to low-falutin political inbrededness the state of South Carolina generally takes the cake … but Arkansas is looking like it wants to challenge the Palmetto State when it comes to being, well, “challenged.”
Case in point?
Last week a State Senator from “the Natural State” had a bit of a row with his girlfriend, who allegedly beat him over the head with a “small preserved alligator head.” The woman – who was charged with third degree criminal domestic violence – alleged that Arkansas Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson first threw her into furniture, but police concluded that her wounds did not match up with her version of events.
(Hmmmm … sure wish a little of that investigative effort had been applied by City of Columbia, S.C. police in our founding editor’s case a few years ago).
Anyway … if the name Hutchinson sounds familiar, it should. This State Senator’s father, Tim Hutchinson, was a U.S. Senator. Meanwhile his uncle Asa Hutchinson was a former U.S. Congressman and “drug czar” under George W. Bush.
Oh … and he’s got a South Carolina connection (he’s an alum of Bob Jones University).
So … we know she’s feisty, but is Hutchinson’s ex-girlfriend hot?
Ummmmm …
Anyway, our Arkansas fun doesn’t stop with this story …
In addition to this incident, we have the tale of State Rep. Hudson Hallum, who conspired with his father (Kent Hallum), a West Memphis city councilman (Phillip Wayne Carter) and a local police officer (Sam Malone) to commit election fraud. Specifically Hallum, a white Democrat, pled guilty to bribing black voters with fried chicken, vodka and limousine rides in a race he won by just eight ballots.
From a U.S. Department of Justice press release …
…. the defendants admitted that certain absentee ballot voters received things of value in exchange for their votes being cast for Hudson Hallum. For example, in or about May 2011, Carter and Malone provided a chicken dinner to an individual in exchange for the absentee ballot votes of that individual and one other individual. Further, the felony information states that on or about May 4, 2011, Carter contacted Hudson Hallum about a family of eight who had requested a “family meal” in exchange for their absentee ballot votes being cast in favor of Hudson Hallum. Carter requested $20 from Hudson Hallum to pay for the food, to which request Hudson Hallum agreed.
In addition, according to the felony information, on or about May 5, 2011, Carter notified Hudson Hallum that some absentee ballot voters were “holding on” to their absentee ballots because they needed money for food. Hudson Hallum instructed Carter to obtain money for the absentee voters from Kent Hallum. Hudson Hallum further told Carter that $20 to $40 was too much to pay for one vote, but that this amount was acceptable to pay for the votes of multiple members of a household. On that same date, Hudson Hallum also told Carter, “We need to use that black limo and buy a couple of cases of some cheap vodka and whiskey to get people to vote.” Two days later, Carter and Kent Hallum spoke with an individual in Memphis, Tennessee about getting a discounted price for the purchase of 100 half pints of vodka for the campaign.
Fried chicken, limos and vodka! Talk about rocking the vote! Hudson Hallum sure seems “pretty fly for a white guy.” Anyway … believe it or not Arkansas actually ranked ahead of South Carolina in a recent report on corruption in state government, earning a grade of D+.
What grade did the Palmetto State receive?
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