Republican state treasurer nominee Mark Lowery of Maumelle has been fined $800 and issued a public letter of caution by the Arkansas Ethics Commission, according to commission records released Tuesday.
The commission found that Lowery, a state representative, violated state law by failing to timely file required campaign finance reports in the third and fourth quarters of 2021 and the month of February in his campaign for secretary of state that he abandoned to run for state treasurer, and a report for the month of March in his campaign for state treasurer, Ethics Commission Chairwoman Lori Klein said in a letter dated Monday to Lowery.
Lowery said Tuesday “what I have been found guilty of are administrative errors, not ethical violations,” and as long as that distinction is not made the ethics commission will continue to be used as “a political weapon.”
He said he entered the data for his campaign finance reports in the secretary of state’s campaign finance reporting system in these instances, but he was unable to file the report on time due to the reporting system.
The commission received the ethics complaint April 13, Klein said in her letter to Lowery.
In July, Lowery declined the commission’s offer to settle the ethics complaint by agreeing to pay a $1,000 fine and receiving a public letter caution from the commission, Klein said.
In the May 24 primary, Lowery defeated state Sen. Mat Pitsch of Fort Smith to win the Republican nomination for state treasurer.
Democrat nominee Pam Whitaker of Little Rock and Lowery are vying for state treasurer in the Nov. 8 general election.
State Treasurer Dennis Milligan, a Benton Republican, is running in the general election for state auditor.
Democratic nominee Diamond Arnold-Johnson of Mabelvale and Libertarian candidate Simeon Snow of Rector also are running for state auditor.
