Arkansas treasurer denied in bid to use funds for legal costs

A panel of lawmakers Wednesday declined to review a request to allow more state money to be spent on $170,000 worth of outstanding legal fees incurred by Arkansas Treasurer Dennis Milligan's office.

Senate President Pro Tempore Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, said Milligan's office should have gone to legislative leaders months ago to discuss a legal bill that in total tops $330,000, related to lawsuits filed by a former employee.

Officials from the treasurer's office had asked lawmakers to approve shifting $205,000 within the treasurer's budget to pay off the $170,000 in outstanding legal fees -- which the office does not have the spending authority to pay -- and to pay outside legal counsel to help implement legislation approved earlier this year on how the office invests money.

The legal bills from the Mitchell Williams law firm are the result of litigation filed in federal and state courts by the treasurer's former outreach manager, David Singer. Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge's office -- which serves as general counsel for state offices and officials -- had a conflict of interest and declined to defend Milligan's office.

Read more: http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2017/may/18/treasurer-denied-in-bid-to-use-funds-fo/?f=news-politics